The RO had shifted the polling centre from Saint Mary's School in Chawkbazar area to Hazi Mohammad Mohsin College without taking permission from the EC, said sources.

A full commission meeting headed by Chief Election Commissioner MA Syed after reviewing the gazette regarding the polling centres that was published last month observed that the RO and the deputy election commissioner of Chittagong division had shifted the centre at their own discretion, said a meeting source.

Earlier Nagorik Committee backed by main opposition Awami League had lodged a complaint with the EC against shifting of the polling centre. ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury is contesting the polls as the Nagorik Committee-backed mayoral candidate.

The Committee leaders opposed the move to shift the polling centre as they consider Hazi Mohsin College area as a Jamaat-e-Islami stronghold. That a good number of voters in Chawkbazar area belongs to minority community, might have been another rationale behind the relocation decision, Mohiuddin camp believes.

The EC at yesterday's meeting also discussed allegations against polls observer National Democratic Foundation (NDF), and asked the officials concerned not to issue any organisation with more than 30 cards in accordance with the guidelines on polls observers.

Nagorik Committee alleges that NDF has plans to field 600 workers of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, the student wing of the ruling BNP, as polls observers.

The EC expressed its satisfaction over law and order. "Overall situation is good and we hope it will get even better after deployment of army," Election Commissioner AK Mohammad Ali yesterday told The Daily Star after the meeting.