Dhaka: United States has expressed its disappointment at election fraud hours after several mayoral candidates boycotted the elections to three city corporations on Tuesday.

Bangladesh Nationalist Party backed mayoral candidates in a press conference in the afternoon announced the withdrawal of their candidacy and condemned the role of ruling Awami League and Election Commission for committing rigging in the polls.

The US Emabssy in Dhaka in a statement in its official verified Facebook page said, ‘We are disappointed by widespread, first-hand, and credible reports of vote-rigging, intimidation and violence that have occurred at polling stations today, and the BNP’s decision to boycott the city corporation polls.’

The US authorities also sought normalcy and called on the parties to avoid violence. The statement also said: ‘It is important that irregularities be investigated transparently and impartially, and we call on all parties involved to work within the law and avoid violence at all costs. We condemn in the strongest terms any use of violence for political objectives.’