Brahmanbaria: Four mayoral candidates, included one nominated by Bangladesh Nationalist Party, have boycotted elections at Akaura municipality in Brahmanbaria protesting at vote rigging and forceful oust of their polling agents from inside polling centres.

BNP candidate Mantaz Mia and individual candidates Salauddin Al Hossain Chowdhury, Syed Moshiur Rahman Babul and Sohel Bhuiyan announced their boycott on Wednesday.

Mantaz Mia at a press briefing complained that police had picked up his agents and canvassers and beat them. Upazila BNP joint secretary Delwar Khadem was injured. AL activists rigged elections, he complained.

AL mayoral candidate Kazal said votes held peacefully. Voters spontaneously went to polling centres.