Character assassination and mudslinging during election campaigns anywhere in the country are all too common.

But the situation is refreshingly different in the run up to the Narayanganj City Corporation election thanks to clean campaigns run by two main mayoral candidates -- Awami League-nominated Selina Hayat Ivy and BNP-backed Shakhawat Hossain Khan.

As of yesterday, neither Ivy nor Shakhawat attacked their rivals personally. They restrained themselves from vilifying each other during their electioneering.

Candidates, voters and civil society members in Narayanganj are happy with the prevailing election atmosphere and hoped the election will be completed in a festive mood.

Election campaign formally began on December 6, and the polls would be held on December 22 on partisan lines for the first time. The constituency has around five lakh voters.

"Until yesterday, no complaint of violation of the electoral code of conduct by any of the seven mayor hopefuls was lodged with the returning officer for the NCC polls," Nuruzzaman Talukder, returning officer for the polls, told The Daily Star yesterday.

Locals said that although Narayanganj, once known as Dundee of the East, earned a bad name due to the use of muscle power and poor law and order, the election would be free from such practices this time.

Apart from the two major mayor candidates, central leaders of both the AL and the BNP are campaigning for their candidates. The leaders too were not using abusive language or attacking their rival candidates during the campaign.

"The candidates have shown good gestures which will introduce a positive political culture in the city," said Enamul Haq Khokon, a lawyer at Narayanganj district court.

During the maiden NCC elections in 2011, a tensed situation prevailed in the city as two mayoral hopefuls -- Shamim Osman and Ivy -- had engaged in mudslinging and character assassination.

Both of them had brought allegations of violating code of conduct against each other, which was widely reported in the media.

Visiting different areas in the city corporation, The Daily Star correspondents did not see any poster of the candidates on the roadside walls, median strips and trees.

Even supporters of the two contenders did not complain about posters being torn up by rival candidates' men, which was common during previous polls.

No loudspeakers were used and supporters of the candidates were seen using megaphone, seeking voters' blessings.

On the election atmosphere, Ivy said she wants a free, fair and peaceful environment.

Her counterpart Shakhawat said he does not want to use political vengeance or character assassination as a tool to woo voters.

Dilip Kumar Sarkar, central coordinator of Shushasoner Jonno Nagorik (Shujan), a citizens' platform advocating good governance, said, "The reason why there is no major incident of violation of electoral code of conduct so far is because there are no controversial mayor candidates. Most of them are known as decent people."

He also expressed hope that there would no major incident of electoral code of conduct violation this time. "The Election Commission has so far managed to ensure a level playing field for the candidates."

"We haven't seen any personal attack, character assassination and mudslinging among the mayor hopefuls," he added.