The rebel senior leaders think that the broadside launched against them by the junior leaders during the party's national executive meeting, held on Saturday, was pre-planned.

Sources said leaders of about 41 districts did not get the floor at the meeting while some young leaders who are very close to Hawa Bhaban got the chance and spoke without restraint.

Party sources said under pressure from the young group, the expulsion of Col (retd) Oli Ahmad from the party is only a matter of time now, due to his adverse comments on the party leadership especially on Tarique Rahman, also son of Party Chairperson Khaleda Zia.

But on the issue of Joint Secretary General Ashraf Hossain's expulsion some other senior leaders including the secretary general of the party are not in league with the juniors.

According to the decision of the NEC, the party chairperson and the standing committee will take decisions about Oli and Ashraf very soon

"It was unexpected to talk about Ashraf at the NEC meeting as he had cleared his position last week and the party high command had expressed satisfaction about him," said a party leader adding that a group of leaders wants to fulfil its own interest using the name of Hawa Bhaban.

Khaleda Zia, who is also the prime minister of the country, asked her senior leaders to maintain party discipline. She criticised some senior leaders for their 'freestyle' speeches in the media, sources said.

Young leaders including Ruhul Quddus Talukder Dulu, Abul Khair Bhuiyan, Ilias Ali, Moazzem Hossain Alal, Nazim Uddin Alam, Shahid Uddin Chowdhuty Anny, Nasir Uddin Pintu, who are known to be very close to Hawa Bhaban, got enough chance to criticise the rebel senior leaders as the party high ups refrained from interfering during their aggressive speeches.

Sources said blasting of some senior leaders by the leaders of the young group was pre-planned.

Some senior leaders including Secretary General Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan discouraged the grassroots level leaders to talk about the electricity crisis and the price hike of essentials, they were even told not to talk about corruption by some ministers and lawmakers, who are members of the party.

Leaders from at least 41 districts including some important ones like Chittagong, Comilla, Noakhali, Manikganj, Rangpur, and Faridpur were not allowed to address the meeting. The party high command allowed only those who had been listed in advance through a selection process about which nobody knows anything.

Khaleda Zia also warned the party leaders in not so subtle words during her concluding speech at the NEC meeting.

"You (senior leaders) are heroes when you are in BNP but you could be zeroes when you are not in the party," she said adding, "Some people are violating the discipline and using my photo on their posters." She said such practices cannot be allowed to continue.

"We did not finalise the names of our nominees for the next election," Khaleda told the leaders and warned that it is not assured that an incumbent lawmaker will get a nomination. "We will nominate those, who are capable to win the election," she added.

Hinting at some complaints against some lawmakers and ministers from the party she said, "Lawmakers and ministers should care about the party activists and leaders should not be isolated from the activists."

Khaleda assured the grassroots level leaders that if her party wins the next election then the electricity crisis will get priority.

"This time we could not understand the problem properly although we have undertaken a lot of development work in the sector," she said.