Eleven Jatiya Party candidates boycotted the 12th national election midway through voting, alleging widespread irregularities including stuffing of ballots and seizing of polling centres in their areas, said Mahmud Alam, joint office secretary of the party.

The 11 candidates are: Rejaul Razi Swapan Chowdhury (Thakurgaon-1), Md Delowar (Lalmonirhat-2), Johurul Haq (Jashore-4), Mohammad Ali (Tangail-1), Enayet Hossain (Mymensingh-2), Mir Shamsul Alam Lipton (Jamalpur-3), ANM Rafiqul Islam Selim (Narsingdi-2), Alamgir Sikdar Loton (Narayanganj-2), Yahiya Chowdhury (Sylhet-2), Sazzad Rashid (Chandpur-4) and Nurul Amin Sikdar Vhuttu (Cox's Bazar-4).

Talking to The Daily Star, Rejaul Razi Swapan said supporters Ramesh Chandra Sen, the candidate of ruling Awami League, took hold of almost all polling centres of Thakurgaon-1 with the help of local administration and police members.

"My polling agents were driven away from different polling centres by the Awami League candidate's men," Swapan said.

"I personally visited many polling centres to get a first-hand experience about the allegations and found those to be true. Later around 2:00pm, I announced quitting the election in protest of the vote rigging," he added.

Mohammad Ali and several other JP candidates also echoed Swapan's sentiment.