Khaleda is worried over the activities of party leaders working for reforms while the reformists expect her to quit the top party post as, they think, she has failed to run the party in an acceptable manner. They might make a formal announcement on reforms soon.

Party insiders said Khaleda also wants some reforms in the party but refuses to leave the post of chairperson under pressure. But pro-reform leaders believe she will rehabilitate corrupt party leaders like her son Tarique Rahman in future if she continues to head the party.

"Party leaders and workers will not allow her to head the party unless corruption allegations against her and her family members are proved false in court," a senior BNP leader told The Daily Star.

But Goyeswar Chandra Ray, joint secretary general of the BNP, recently met party Secretary General Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan and urged him to resolve the reform issues through discussion with Khaleda. "Leaders and activists of the party will decide through election during the party council whether Khaleda will continue as the party chairperson or not," he told reporters yesterday.

Referring to reported split in the BNP, Goyeswar said," We are now hearing about BNP (Zia)… In the past we saw BNP (Huda), BNP (Matin) but all these initiatives proved fruitless."

Former BNP lawmaker Sardar Shakhawat Hossain Bakul, known as a pro-reform party leader, yesterday told this correspondent, "Top leader of any political party should leave the party as well as politics if there are allegations of corruption against him/her".

Party leaders will sit shortly for announcement of reforms, he added.

Besides preparing reform proposals, reformist leaders are trying to contact district and upazila level leaders to reorganise the party without Khaleda once the ban on indoor politics is lifted. Almost all of them want tough disciplinary action against all Hawa Bhaban-related men, accusing them of unbelievable corruption, party sources said.

Former minister and BNP Vice President Hafiz Uddin Ahmed yesterday told the press that Hawa Bhaban men interfered in economy, politics and activities of ministries when the party was in power. "Khaleda should have controlled her relatives so that they could not involve in corruption but she did not ... Her son brought misfortune for her."

Stressing reforms, he said, "Unlimited power of the chairperson as per the party constitution is not needed. Even the party and government should not be run by the same person simultaneously, and Khaleda Zia should come up with her idea about reforms."

According to sources, the party chief was surprised and embarrassed that some senior party leaders did not respond to messages from her in the last few days.

A standing committee member met Khaleda last week while other senior leaders of the party did not agree to meet her to discuss party matters, party insiders said. Only a few leaders like former chief whip Khandaker Delwar Hossain and Abdul Matin Chowdhury still support her.

The BNP chief and former prime minister has expressed dissatisfaction over the move of party secretary general and his close aides to bring reforms in the party. But most of the party leaders are mounting pressure on him to take over leadership of the party, insiders said.