Zahirul Haque, director general, External Publicity, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told The Daily Star he was told by Bangladesh officials at Istanbul that voting started at 1:45am and was to continue for three hours.

The voting was the last resort to settle the battle for the top OIC job after none of the three contenders -- Malaysia, Turkey and Bangladesh -- pulled out of the race for the coveted post.

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister M Morshed Khan has underscored that the war against terrorism cannot be won by military means alone and said the real sources of acts of desperation should be identified and the root causes must be addressed.

"The war against terrorism can be won through promoting tolerance, fostering dialogue and supporting mutual respect and consideration," he told the Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers (ICFM) in Istanbul on Monday night.

Reiterating Bangladesh's commitment to fighting terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, Khan said: "A few fringe elements should not be allowed to damage the image of Islam and jeopardize the interest of the Muslim world."

The election for the office of secretary general of the Organisation of Islamic Conferences (OIC) is expected to be held later on Tuesday in which candidates from Turkey, Malaysia and Bangladesh are vying for the job.

He proposed a twin agenda for peace and development of the Islamic ummah. A political agenda should emphasise on peaceful resolution of conflicts affecting the members states of the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) and a socio-economic agenda focussing on the key areas of concern in the Islamic world, he said.

On the grave situation in Palestine where Palestinians are subject to indiscriminate killing, the foreign minister said: "Real peace in the Middle East can only begin with the end of crimes against the Palestinians and with the establishment of an independent state of Palestine having Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital."

He called for urgent action to salvage the key elements of the 'Road Map' and renewed efforts by the OIC to bring the peace process back to track.

Calling the situation in Iraq as challenging, he said the United Nations (UN) Security Council resolution adopted on June 8 is a step in the right direction.

The foreign minister said: "We hope this will lead to the restoration of effective sovereignty of Iraq and that the UN should play a leading role in establishing political institutions and facilitating reconstruction in Iraq."

OIC should play its role in support of the Iraqi people, he added.

In his speech, Khan touched on the issues of Cyprus, Sudan, Somalia, Guinea-Bissau and Moro National Liberation Front in Philippines.

He said the OIC should make itself more relevant to the common people in the member states. Its programmes should aim at enhancing human security.

On socio-economic agenda, he said: "We should focus on the key economic and social areas like poverty alleviation, eradication of illiteracy and basic health care."

Seeking support for Bangladesh's candidate Salauddin Quader Chowdhury for the post of OIC secretary general, Khan said the OIC can realise its purposes through greater unity, understanding and solidarity.

The future of the organisation and the agenda will also depend on the leadership of the secretariat, he said.