Dhaka: BNP on Tuesday alleged that ruling party men resorted to various irregularities in 50 percent of polling stations in the ongoing Khulna City Corporation (KCC) polls.

‘As per the information we’ve received so far, ruling party men indulged in various irregularities, including forcing out of our polling agents, stuffing ballots, assaulting and intimidating our supporters, in about 50 percent of the total voting centres,’ said BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi.

Speaking at a press conference at BNP’s Nayaplatan central office around 12noon, he also alleged that the Election Commission is working in favour of the ruling party mayoral candidate instead of taking action against the polls irregularities.

‘The Commission has turned out to be a one-eyed man.’

The BNP leader also alleged that the Commission has surrendered to the government forgetting its own authority as an independent body. ‘This Commission is like a photocopy of the government.’

He said the ruling party men have got desperate to indulge in election irregularities due to the inactive role of the Election Commission.

‘Ruling party cadres are desperate to snatch people’s right to franchise without obstruction. An awful situation has been prevailing in the Khulna election areas,’ Rizvi said.

He said their party’s many male agents were forced out and beat up while women ones tortured and obstructed from entering many polling stations.

Earlier at a press conference, he alleged that the agents of its mayoral candidate were forced out from 40 polling stations soon after the voting started in Khulna City Corporation.

The BNP leader also alleged that the ruling party men established their control over most of the pulling centres resorting to terrorism as they did in the past during other elections.

Rizvi, however, said their party asked their mayoral candidate to stay there in the polls till the end.

Voting in the KCC election to elect its new mayor and councillors is underway.

Five mayoral candidates, 148 general councillor and 38 reserved-seat female councillor candidates are there in the election race.