It will also register with the Election Commission (EC), take collective decisions, hold councils on time, establish accountability at all levels, and take actions against corrupt and criminal members, among other things, according to party sources.

AL President Sheikh Hasina held a closed door meeting with some of the party's top leaders and all joint and organising secretaries in her Dhanmondi office on Friday night as part of her initiative to reform the party with a long tradition, the sources said.

The meeting candidly debated about many problems prevailing in the party and reached a consensus that AL must carry out reforms for its own sake, not because of outside pressures, sources who had attended the meeting told The Daily Star.

Most of the leaders, who attended the meeting, spoke frankly in front of the party chief and pointed out many irregularities and activities contrary to the party constitution that go on inside AL.

Hasina continued the meeting yesterday also at the same venue to get specific recommendations regarding the reforms. Party leaders said the discussions on reforms would continue for several more days.

The sources said the party chief might form a committee to look into the matters of reforms. Most of the leaders said self-criticism, which could be one of the best ways for bringing reforms, is absent in the party.

The meeting recommended to the AL chief that there should be transparency in handling of the party accounts, specific database on party members should be created, and councils and formation of committees should take place on time according to the party constitution. They said internal democracy must be strengthened to establish accountability inside the party.

The meeting also reached a consensus that AL will register with the EC, although many of the leaders told the meeting that the party had already registered with the EC in 1978.

One of the leaders told the meeting that many leaders including most of the top leaders do not follow the party constitution properly and they sometimes speak sycophantically to make the party chief happy, even if that goes against AL.

Almost all the leaders said the party should take stern actions against corrupt leaders and members who are accused of criminal activities.

In the last two days' meetings, the majority view was that those who would be found guilty of corruption and criminal activities should be asked to quit the organisation, sources said.

"We are thinking to initiate a cleansing process inside the party," said Obaidul Quader, a joint general secretary. He told The Daily Star that they will bring changes in the party constitution and manifesto to be on par with the change of time.

Quader also said the AL Central Working Committee will meet within a week to pass the reforms agenda and after that the party will hold a special council to bring about the proposed reforms.

Sources said Hasina's Political Secretary Saber Hossain Chowdhury told the meeting that they were not informed of many of the party decisions, some are very important.

He pointed out that many leaders knew nothing about the signing or cancellation of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between AL and Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish (BKM) before those actually took place.

Presidium Member Suranjit Sengupta joined Saber in calling for a debate on why in the first place the deal was signed [with the Khelafat Majlish].

Joint Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam said the AL must be reformed in line with the changing context of the country. He also told the meeting that there must be transparency inside the party, according to the sources.

Another central leader, KM Jahangir, said the AL must follow its constitution at all levels.

Another organising secretary said some of the party leaders who are known as close aides to the party chief try to implement their own agendas instead of the party's.

Hasina asked all organising and joint secretaries to prepare a set of recommendations on reforms so that the party could carry those out in phases, the sources said.

Talking to The Daily Star Saber Hossain said that reform is an ongoing process in AL and they will continue bringing reforms in the party according to its own necessity. About the meeting, he said it was a lively debate and it will go on. "This shows that democracy exists within Awami League," added Saber, a close aide to the AL chief.

AL General Secretary Abdul Jalil, Tofail Ahmed, and Motia Chowdhury were present at the meeting.