Terming the student movement demanding safe roads "an outburst of their grievances", BNP leaders yesterday told diplomats of different countries working in Bangladesh that the government does not want to give any democratic space to anyone.

BNP leaders met the diplomats at party chairperson Khaleda Zia's Gulshan office to brief them on the latest situation in the country.

Diplomats and representatives from the USA, UK, Australia, European Union and 17 other countries were present at the briefing.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir briefed the diplomats, while senior leaders of the party were present.

They told the diplomats that the ruling Awami League does not believe in democracy and that is why they launched attack on students and journalists during the peaceful

student movement, party insiders told The Daily Star.

The briefing began with BNP leaders showing a video of how AL men rigged the recently concluded three city corporation polls.

The diplomats apparently wanted to know whether BNP will participate in the next parliamentary election, scheduled to beheld towards the end of this year.

BNP leaders said that release of party chairperson Khaleda Zia is the first precondition for participating in the election.

They also said that Election Commission should be reconstituted, parliament should be dissolved, and a structure of nonpartisan government should be devised to hold the general election.

The diplomats also wanted to know how BNP sees the student movement. In reply BNP leaders said that the demands were genuine and the students expressed their anger as their peers were killed.