Amid allegations that its polling agents are being driven out from polling stations and threatened, the BNP has urged its activists and supporters to not leave the voting centres.

"Don't leave the centre. Go back to your [designated] polling stations," Secretary-General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir made the call at the party's Naya Paltan headquarters in Dhaka on Saturday (Feb 1).

Flanked by BNP chief's media wing member Shairul Kabir Khan, the senior BNP leader arrived at the party offices just after 11 am before getting briefed by leaders and activists about irregularities during the polls when he asked candidates and supporters to return to their centres.

An hour later, Standing Committee member Mirza Abbas entered the Fakhrul's office and briefed about the polls situation in the Bashabo and Khilgaon areas.

"An incident of bombing has been reported at a centre. And the option of 'paddy sheaf' [BNP's polls symbol] is not being displayed on the EVMs," Abbas told the secretary-general.

Fakhrul replied he was aware of the situation before reiterating his call to return activists to their centres.

Soon after, BNP's south mayoral aspirant Ishraque Hossain's polling agent Abdus Salam arrived at Fakhrul's office only to find some councillor candidates before telling them to return to their centres at once.

Around 12.45 pm, Fakhrul and Abbas left the BNP headquarters, when Abbas told Bangla Tribune that he would be monitoring the polls from his residence.

In a briefing to party activists before leaving the headquarters, Mirza Fakhrul said, "There's no need to be here. Go back to your centres and remain there until the polls close."