Several policymakers and senior leaders of the party said axing of some ministers and state ministers and the cabinet reshuffle have been long overdue. However, they noted, axing ministers right at the moment may prove unwise because of the current political turmoil.

They argued the government could have dropped ministers or reshuffle the cabinet either much earlier or after the April 30 deadline given by the main opposition Awami League to overthrow the BNP-led coalition government.

They fear that this "sudden and untimely" reshuffle may fuel the opposition movement and that BNP's opponents might launch a propaganda campaign that the government has been forced to drop ministers and bring changes to the cabinet in the wake of the ongoing anti-government movement.

The changes may also create panic among the party men and also people in general, they believe.

The leaders pointed out that the demand for trimming the jumbo cabinet dates back to BNP-led alliance's cabinet forming and there has also been severe criticism at home and abroad about the size of the council of ministers.

Many other leaders however hailed the cabinet reshuffle saying that the prime minister has taken 'a very timely step' by bringing about the changes. They said the AL deadline and floating of an alternative political stream would not worry the BNP.

But, most of them expressed surprise at the axing of only one cabinet minister and a state minister, who, according to them, have performed better than those who are 'corrupt'.

They said Commerce Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury was severely criticised for the spiralling prices of essentials, but there was no allegation against State Minister for Foreign Affairs Reaz Rahman.

Most leaders think more than a dozen cabinet and state ministers, particularly the home and communications ministers, should have been dropped from the cabinet. Instead, the government just changed the portfolio of the Home Minister Altaf Hossain Chowdhury while Communications Minister Nazmul Huda is still holding his portfolio.

In the previous reshuffle, three cabinet ministers and four state ministers, who were apparently, clean than others were dropped, they said adding that the latest reshuffle would not bring any qualitative change to the cabinet.

Top ranking leaders viewed that it was wise for the government to bring down the size of the cabinet to a maximum 40-member one by dropping those who were engaged in corruption and proved their failures in last two and a half years.

DOZEN MINISTERS UNNERVED

The government, meanwhile, plans to drop some more ministers soon, according to highly placed sources.

They said around a dozen ministers, state ministers and deputy ministers, who tendered their resignation letters to the prime minister and who has accepted them way back, are wary that axe may finally fall on them.

Some of them rushed to the Prime Minister's Office and to the offices and houses of senior ministers and party policymakers immediately after they knew of yesterday's reshuffle to stave off their sacking.