The president and chief adviser's hesitation to implement the tasks or his deviation from or avoidance of those will force the 14-party to go for movements for a free and fair election and for establishing people's rights, AL General Secretary Abdul Jalil said reading out a statement of party chief Sheikh Hasina at the briefing.

Hasina was scheduled to brief the diplomats but she could not due to illness, Jalil said.

Ambassadors of United States, Japan, China, Germany, Turkey, Sri Lanka, South Korea and the European Commission, the high commissioner of India, deputy high commissioner of United Kingdom and resident representatives of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), National Democratic Institute (NDI) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) attended the briefing.

The opposition combine explained to them the need for a neutral approach of President Iajuddin Ahmed in the wake of a string of political violence over electoral reforms and sought support from their countries and organisations for a free and fair election in Bangladesh.

US Ambassador Patricia A Butenis asked if it is possible to fully implement the 11-point task by November 3, and if street violence resumes in case of failure to do so.

In reply, eminent jurist and senior 14-party leader Dr Kamal Hossain said, "We have been demonstrating for a free and fair election since long. We don't believe in politics of violence."

AL leaders said the president has to make a pledge within this time frame that he would implement those tasks.

In her statement, Hasina said her party wants to give Iajuddin time to show his neutrality. He could do that by taking necessary measurers to ensure a level-playing field for all the parties contesting the parliamentary election scheduled for early next year.

The president, who decided to head the interim government, must follow a neutral path by meeting the 11-point demands by November 3, the statement said.

The demands include restructuring the Election Commission through removal of the Chief Election Commissioner MA Aziz and three election commissioners, cancellation of all political appointments in the administration, updating the voter list with photographs of voters and arranging transparent ballot boxes.

Butenis, Deputy High Commissioner of UK Stephen Bridges and NDI resident director Owen Lippert asked at the briefing if the AL would participate in the coming election. They also wanted to know whether the opposition would resort to street protests soon.

Jalil and other AL leaders ruled out any possibility of violence if the interim administration took steps to meet their major demands. "We believe in election. We have given time to the caretaker government to implement our demands. If those demands are met, we must go for election," Jalil said.

He went on, "We want a congenial atmosphere. I can assure you that we do not practise politics of violence. But we can't deprive the people of their rights".

Later, Jalil told reporters that they do not want 'a civil war' in the country.

Dr Kamal, who moderated the briefing, earlier explained the constitutional provisions on the president becoming the head of caretaker government. They did not expect the president to take over as chief of the non-party interim government, he added.

Terming Iajuddin a 'party loyalist president', Dr Kamal narrated how he 'violated' the Constitution to head the non-partisan administration.

" I have never seen such violation of the Constitution by a president, who is the custodian of the Constitution," the eminent jurist said. And there is still time to constitute a non-partisan caretaker government without the president, he added.

Hasina's statement mentioned that the 14-party has neither rejected the president taking over as chief adviser nor accepted it.

Senior leaders of the opposition combine were present at the briefing.