A rift within BNP seems to be deepening with the young leaders accusing the seniors of hatching anti-party plots, said sources.

Most of those who were ministers in the last five years are staying mum to save their skin.

Things are more confusing for the party workers and the grassroots level leaders as they remain in the dark with no direction from the high command in last two months, added the sources.

Meanwhile, some of the senior leaders believe that misdeeds of the junior leaders obedient to Tarique Rahman are solely responsible for the mess now BNP is in. Although the writing was on the wall the then prime minister Khaleda Zia did not bother to take any action against them.

The young ones began to voice their resentment towards the senior leaders especially after the Awami League (AL) had issued a statement to protest the extortion case filed against its President Sheikh Hasina.

"The Awami League leaders have issued a strong statement to protest the case filed against Hasina though the situation was not in favour of them either.

"Unfortunately, ours did not say or do anything to condemn the arrest of Tarique or decry the government's attitude towards the BNP chairperson," a former lawmaker, who was a student leader in the 90s, told The Daily Star.

Most of the leaders had been avoiding Khaleda Zia well before the arrest of party's Senior Joint Secretary General Tarique Rahman. Fearful of harassment, many of them have not contacted the chairperson even for once since the day Nazmul Huda and others were rounded up.

The question about their role arose when the senior most BNP leader Saifur Rahman threw a dinner party in honour of a few diplomats and a chosen group of party colleagues, observed a BNP insider.

Later, a statement from Lutfozzaman Babar only added to the misgiving.

In the statement, Babar's personnel officer claimed that the former state minister for home had cautioned Khaleda Zia and Tarique on different occasions that the party might have to pay for the wrongdoings by a section of its ministers, lawmakers and leaders.

The nation knows about a 'lovely' dinner hosted by a BNP standing committee member but they do not know what they [participants] have talked about at the blow-out, former lawmaker Major (retired) Akhtaruzzaman said in a recent statement.

With a hint of sarcasm, he said he wonders if they had discussed the condition of the party leaders and workers including the chairperson.

"The awkward silence of some leaders is leaving the workers and activists even more frustrated," he said, adding that if anyone thinks the party chairperson is the only one to be blamed for the prevailing situation they should quit.

Meanwhile, those who had joined the BNP ranks on retirement from the armed forces and were ministers in the last five years are also playing a 'mysterious' role, said party sources.

Despite corruption allegations against them, so far none of them has been arrested.