Although largely peaceful, the election in all three city corporations -- Dhaka south and north and Chittagong -- was marked by widespread vote-rigging in the absence of polling agents representing the opposition candidates.
While the BNP withdrew from the polls, followed by the Jana Sanghati-backed Zonayed Saki, ruling Awami League leaders said the elections were fair and peaceful. The Communist Party of Bangladesh, which had fielded candidates, also rejected the elections later in the evening.
Ruling party leaders said the huge voter turnout and festive spirit were indicative of the fairness of the polls while the opposition parties rejected polls saying they were abjectly unfair and absolutely unacceptable.
They alleged that the ruling party activists and polling agents, in connivance with the police and cooperation of the election officials, did not allow oppositions' polling agents into the centres. As a result they were free to stuff ballot boxes.
BNP policymaker Moudud Ahmed, flanked by Dhaka North mayor aspirant Tabith M Awal and Dhaka South candidate Mirza Abbas' wife Afroza Abbas called the elections "farcical." He said the elections had become "meaningless" and was therefore withdrawing.
Saki said he had hoped despite all the foreboding that the polls would have a semblance of fairness. But since that was not the case, he rejected the polls.