Some leaders opine in privacy that the BNP would be better off without Khaleda, who lost popularity inside the party in the last five years so much so that the rebel leaders feel little support the once iron-lady would get from the party if she is forced to leave the country.

Most of the leaders and activists also believe the rumour that her 'forced' departure from the country is only a matter of time. Sources said Khaleda does not want to leave the country under any pressure although a group of leaders are trying to convince her to leave the country to avoid any more damage in the changed situation.

Communications Adviser and Chief of the National Corordination Committee, MA Matin, however ruled out the possibility of any such move by the government.

But intelligence sources confirmed they have started to gather information about corruption and misuse of power against Khaleda, hinting that those might be used to make her leave the country.

Khaleda is reportedly under strict surveillance and has been asked by the 'authorities' to refrain from meeting any party colleague; at the same time party leaders have also been asked not to visit her cantonment residence.

Even regular guests trying to visit her at her residence have also been reportedly turned away by the security personnel posted in front the house.

Sources said a severe intra-party conflict surfaced within BNP on Tuesday as a group of party leaders sent a statement to newspapers using the name of Khaleda Zia, which in her name urged the armed forces to keep themselves above any controversy.

According to the sources a group of BNP leaders and former officials of the Prime Minister's Office prepared the statement and sent it to different newspapers from the office of a newspaper owned by Tarique Rahman. But senior leaders of BNP including Secretary General Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan and Joint Secretary General Nazrul Islam Khan told The Daily Star that they did not know anything about the statement.

Expressing deep concern and dissatisfaction regarding the statement the BNP leaders said the incident caught them by surprise as they 'do not even know who is running the party now a days' and how the BNP chairperson's statement was issued from the office of a newspaper.

"The statement is nothing but a conspiracy against BNP and Khaleda Zia... although a group of party leaders and some former officials of the Prime Minister's Office are involved in it," a BNP leader said.

Meanwhile, many BNP leaders are planning to challenge Khaleda Zia's leadership in the party thinking it will not be able to survive with her at the helm in the face of the allegations of astronomical corruption against her family members.

Sources said the leaders are considering calling an emergency council of the party when the interim government will withdraw the ban on politics, as they want to expel Khaleda, Tarique and other suspected corrupt leaders in the process of reorganising the party.

Some leaders believe that their move against party chief Khaleda Zia and her family members will help them to avoid the axe of the interim government.

Khaleda Zia also heard about the initiative and expressed her resentment against the leaders on whom she no longer has any control, the sources said adding that the rebel leaders are now trying to put pressure on Khaleda to expel suspected corrupt leaders as soon as possible.

But, Khaleda told them that she will take actions against the suspected corruptionists only if they are proven guilty through proper trials.

The sources said a group of senior and mid-level leaders along with some former lawmakers are trying to organise themselves to establish their control over the party. They will go into action as soon as the government will withdraw the ban on indoor politics.

Meanwhile, majority of the party activists and leaders are in the dark, as they are not getting any direction from the party high command regarding how to face the present political crisis. They are in a debilitating uncertainty regarding whether the party will be able to stand up on its feet again.

According to the sources, mid-level leaders and former lawmakers are regularly visiting the residence of the party secretary general but he is not agreeing to discuss the present crisis with them.

"The party leadership should clear their position on whether they want to work for the party or only for their family members and their own interests," a former lawmaker from BNP told The Daily Star on Monday.

The sources said most of the leaders who were ministers in the last five years are now trying to avoid contact with party Chairperson Khaleda Zia, as they believe that her family members are responsible for the current predicament. They are especially unwilling to defend Tarique Rahman and other suspected corrupt leaders.

A group of party leaders recently held an indoor meeting and discussed the latest situation following two or three similar meetings in a residence of a former minister.

The rebel leaders think that Khaleda should leave the party if she wants to save it from a bigger disaster and the party high command should take immediate disciplinary actions against the suspected corrupt leaders, who are behind bars following arrests by the joint forces under the ongoing state of emergency, the sources said.

"Madam should understand the reality as it will be difficult to save the party under her leadership. But she should come back if Tarique Rahman is acquitted of the corruption charges in court," a Dhaka city BNP leader said.

However, BNP leaders and activists have no clue about what move the party chairperson or her family members are contemplating.