DHAKA: Voting in 234 municipalities across the country has come to an end on Wednesday amid tight security.

People started casting their votes at 8:00am and continued till 4:00pm.

Sporadic violence, occupying poll centers and boycotts of some mayoral candidates were also reported on the day.

However, around seven million voters exercised their rights to vote on the day to elect mayors and councilors in 234 municipalities.

A general holiday was announced in the poll areas on the day.

As many as 900 candidates and 1,200 candidates vied for mayoral and councilor posts respectively. A total of 19 political parties nominated candidates for mayoral elections.

Some 228 candidates of Awami League, 225 of BNP and 74 of Jatiya Party contested as mayor candidates. Earlier, seven mayor candidates were elected unopposed.

Earlier on Tuesday (December 29), the EC imposed a 24-hour ban on the movement of motor vehicles at the poll areas from 12:01am Wednesday (December 30) to the midnight of Thursday (December 31).

However, the ban was not imposed on the highways of the areas.

A grand total of more than 140,000 personnel from Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), police, Coast Guard and Ansar are engaged on the voting day.

BDST: 1614 HRS, DEC 30, 2015
SR/RR/SMS