Some presidium members, organising secretaries and central leaders, mostly those who claim to have been sidelined in the last five years, are determined to see home the move to curtail the president's 'absolute' control over the organisation, said AL insiders.

Some mid-level leaders said they too have heard about the move. They described it as a conspiracy that would never come off.

"We won't allow the plot to succeed as we don't want an Awami League without the daughter of Bangabandhu and people will never accept any leadership minus Hasina," said an AL leader preferring anonymity.

A group of leaders who have long felt aggrieved is gaining strength of late by maintaining a close contact with a portion of the interim government. They are out to make the most of the AL being in disarray due to absence of Hasina, party sources said.

In case the plan fails, some of them might even join the much-speculated new political party to be formed with 'relatively clean' leaders of different parties, they added.

Persons close to the leaders favouring sweeping changes told The Daily Star that they want the non-controversial leaders with command down to the grassroots level to come to the fore in the changed circumstances.

Speculations suggesting an imminent changing of the guards in the AL and BNP have been rife with Law and Information Adviser Mainul Hosein advocating radical reforms in the parties.

AL Presidium Member Suranjit Sengupta on Saturday spoke openly about the need for reforms in the AL. He told Channel i and BBC Bangladesh Sanglap that laws should be formulated so that one person cannot hold the top post more than twice and head the party and the government at the same time.

Many leaders have taken the observations quite seriously. They said they believe those have been made deliberately and pointed at Sheikh Hasina.

Talking to The Daily Star, some of them said they are sure of a link between Suranjit's comment and the "move to split the party and usurp the top posts".

The ones loyal to Hasina including General Secretary Abdul Jalil termed the statement 'his personal views' and said they have nothing to do with the party.

Some mid-level leaders said Suranjit should refrain from making such statements especially when the party chief is not around and there's a pressure on the major political parties to replace the current leadership.

Reacting sharply to his remarks, several leaders of the AL and its front organisations have called Hasina, now in the UK, and pledged unflinching support to her, said the party sources.

Hasina later talked to her close aides at home and directed them to keep a close watch on the situation both in and outside the party.

One of the leaders accused of siding with the faction preparing to challenge Hasina however denied that there is any such move.

He told The Daily Star that though the party is going through a rough patch with Hasina's return appearing uncertain and the arrest of Presidium Member Kazi Zafrullah, things will change for the better once she gets back to the country.

He said the 60 years old organisation had seen off numerous crises, ups and downs, and conspiracies in the past and will do the same this time as well.

A number of other leaders believe the prevailing situation is a blessing in disguise in that it is bridging the gap between the central leadership and those at the district and metropolitan levels. "Besides, we now feel more sympathetic towards our leader [Hasina] though we had criticised her over many issues in the past," said a mid-level AL leader.

A senior AL leader claimed that every tier of the AL has become stronger than usual. Even the popular support for the party has increased. He said they are convinced that the trying times will be over soon.