The Election Commission has in place six-tier security measures ahead of the Rangpur City Corporation (RpCC) polls on Tuesday.
The opposition Jatiya Party candidate, who is ahead in the mayoral race, looks to his second consecutive term in office.
Nine candidates are vying for the mayoral position and 183 people are contesting councillors' posts under 33 wards. Sixty-eight female candidates are contesting in the polls for 11 reserved seats.
The mayoral candidates are immediate-past mayor Mostafizur Rahman Mostafa from Jatiya Party (JaPa), Hosne Ara Lutfa Dalia from the Awami League, Shafier Rahman from Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JaSaD), Khorshed Alam from Zaker Party, Amiruzzaman from Islami Andolon Bangladesh, Abu Raihan from Bangladesh Congress, Touhidur Rahman Mandal from Khelafat Majlish, while Mehedi Hasan and Latifur Rahman are contesting as independent candidates. Latifur was expelled from the post of district Awami League vice president.
In the previous election, Mostafa won the race against the ruling party candidate by a margin of around 90,000 votes.
This year, Mostafa has got support from both Raushan Ershad, JaPa's chief patron, and GM Quader, its chairman, while the Awami League's Hosne Ara was not seen running any visible campaigns. .
Voting will take place via electronic voting machines (EVM) at 229 centres from 8am to 4pm.
There are a total of 4,26,470 listed voters in Rangpur city, which sees its fourth election today.
Members of different law enforcement agencies, including police, Ansar and village police, Armed Police Battalion (APBn), Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) are on the ground across the city.
"Election materials have been sent to all centres while presiding officers have been given police protection so that no one can create an untoward situation," said Returning Officer (RO) Md Abdul Baten said yesterday.
Speaking at the Rangpur Police Lines ground yesterday, Abdul Baten said that EC officials, including the chief election commissioner, will monitor voting through closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras from the Dhaka office.
"All preparations have been made to hold a free and fair election, and voting will be held at 229 centres through electronic voting machines from 8am," he said. Mobile courts will be conducted to enforce electoral codes.
Motorcycles have been banned in the city corporation area since Sunday night. Vehicular movement has also been restricted, the official added.
A total of 229 presiding officers, 1,349 assistant presiding officers and 2,698 polling officers will be on duty at the polls, he stated.
Thirty-three roving teams, 11 striking force teams and six reserved striking force teams comprising Police, APBn and Battalion Ansar and VDP, 17 teams of RAB and 11 more teams of BGB will remain on duty throughout the day, Rangpur Metropolitan Police (RpMP) Commissioner Nure Alam Mina told reporters.
Police and detectives in plain clothes will also be on the ground, he added.