Police officer Mahmudul Hai said one man was killed in the Satkania sub-district of Chittagong, nearly 300km away from the capital Dhaka.
He was killed during clashes between the supporters of two candidates over control of a polling station.
At least 80 people were injured in clashes in other districts, prompting the election authorities to suspend voting at 25 of nearly 3,500 polling
stations.
The EC overnight called out paramilitary Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), elite anti-crime Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and coastguards to assist the police force in conducting the polls.
The EC, which conducted the polls in 234 municipalities, said the election was generally peaceful barring the stray
incidents of violence.
“The voters turnout was satisfactory... leaving aside these incidents (sporadic violence, irregularities) elections in most areas were held peacefully while we took prompt action every time we received a complaint,” election commissioner Abdul Hafiz told reporters as counting was underway manually after the voting.
The contests were largely confined candidates of the ruling Awami League party of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and opposition Bangladesh
Nationalist Party (BNP).
BNP alleged that Awami League activists had taken control at many polling stations after forcing out its own election officials. The allegation was
denied by the Awami League.
The opposition party demanded re-election in 100 centres for “irregularities”. “We have lodged our complaints (but) the election commission seems to be helpless... however, they (EC) have assured us of looking into the matter according to our allegations,” Zia’s adviser Khandaker Mahbub Hossain told reporters at the commission office.
Nearly 7mn voters were eligible to cast their ballots for representatives in local
government institutions.
More than 100,000 members of law enforcement agencies were deployed to maintain order during and after the polls.
More than 900 candidates, mostly from Awami League and BNP, contested for 234 mayoral positions at the local
government units.
Apart from mayoral race, more than 8,750 candidates will also contest for 2,193 general councillor posts and 2,480 women will contest for 731 reserved councillor posts in the 234 municipalities.
Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal has vowed to quell violence during the polls.
Bangladesh is unlikely to see any change in the government until the 2019 general elections, but analysts said today’s polls appeared to be a referendum on the popularity of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League and Zia’s BNP.
