An average of 26 percent of votes have been cast in the first four hours of polls in the Cumilla and Mymensingh city corporation elections, the Election Commission said.

The voter turnout was 25 percent in Cumilla and 27 percent in Mymensingh till noon, according to the information available on the watchdog’s app, EC Additional Secretary Ashok Kumar Debnath said on Saturday.

However, Mymensingh Returning Officer Shafiqul Islam said the city recorded a 22 percent turnout till noon. Results from various polling centres in the city showed no more than 30 percent of the votes were cast anywhere in the first four hours of the election.

Nurul Islam, presiding officer of the city’s Premier Ideal Girls School centre, said around 21.52 percent of votes were cast till noon at his centre. Presiding Officer Noor Mohammad Khan said 28.78 percent of votes were cast at the Premier Ideal Boys School centre till that time.

Prasanta Das, presiding officer of the Police Line High School centre, said around 25 percent of votes were cast at his centre till noon.

Voting began for a total of 233 local government positions, including representatives for the cities of Mymensingh and Cumilla and six municipalities, two months after the general election.

Polling began at 8am and will continue without any interruptions until 4pm.

The election marks the second for the Mymensingh City Corporation while Cumilla city is holding a by-poll for the mayor's post.

Shariful Alam, an Election Commission spokesman, noted that voting in municipalities, district councils, and city corporations is being conducted through electronic voting machines, while the remaining elections are utilising traditional ballot papers.

Amid the elections, two people were shot during a clash between supporters of rival candidates during the mayoral by-election in Cumilla.

“An isolated incident occurred outside a polling centre in Cumilla. The situation is under control now,” Debnath said.