Narayanganj city election satisfactory so far, says BNP's Rizvi

Around two hours into polling at the Narayanganj City Corporation polls, the party held a press conference at its headquarters in capital Dhaka's Naya Paltan on Thursday.

"The election atmosphere is peaceful there, according to the reports that have reached us so far," Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said.

"The situation is satisfactory," Rizvi said quoting BNP's mayor candidate Sakhawat Hossain Khan.

BNP has endorsed advocate Sakhawat Hossain Khan to contest for the post of Narayanganj mayor with its symbol 'paddy sheaf.'

"We hope the authorities would not act in a manner that will compel us to question the credibility of the elections," said the party's senior secretary general.

Voting started at 8am at 174 polling centres in the river port city.

The results will decide whether Awami League's Selina Hayat Ivy will continue to rule as the city's mayor or whether BNP's Shakhawat Hossain Khan will spring a surprise victory.

The election is being held on party-lines for the first time.

Rizvi hoped for a landslide victory for Shakhawat if the peaceful election atmosphere was maintained throughout the day.

He asked the Narayanganj voters to exercise their franchise within 4pm.

The BNP leader asked the chief election commissioner, whose term expires in February 2017, 'to create a history before leaving' by sustaining the peaceful atmosphere in Narayanganj.

He also called upon law enforcers to stay alert and election officers and magistrates to stay impartial during the polls.