They have identified the absolute power of the chairperson as the main obstacle to practising democracy within the party and so emphasised the importance of a collective leadership in their proposals that are likely to be made public within a couple of days.

Meanwhile, Khaleda Zia and the leaders loyal to her too seem resolved not to bring any changes bypassing the council. Also a former prime minister, she has already said reforms would be carried out in discussion with leaders down to the grassroots level once the ban on indoor politics is lifted.

Those for reforms say they are determined to purge the organisation of corrupt leaders and criminals.

"We want to see a meaningful change....we want to free the party of corrupt individuals and terrorists," Ashraf Hossain, joint secretary general of BNP, told The Daily Star last night.

"Despite an enormous sway, late president Ziaur Rahman was democratic whenever it came to running the party. But the BNP he left behind did not see a council in the last 14 years," he added.

The pro-reform leaders seek to curb the absolute power of chairperson and set up a collective leadership even if they require major changes in the party constitution.

Asked what they would do in case of Khaleda's not accepting the proposals, a leader said, "In the last 14 years, many decisions have been taken without a council. So, what's the big deal if the leaders and workers now want to take any decision in the interests of the party?

Changes will come in some basic provisions of the party constitution including the ones concerning council, membership quality, process of election to the top posts in all tiers, and transparency in maintaining party accounts, said a pro-reform leader.

"An agreement should be reached after coordinating all the proposals," Ali Newaz Khaiyam, a former lawmaker, told reporters, replying to a query about Khaleda Zia's recent announcement that she is also drawing up a reform proposal.

"We should consider the strategic side of the reforms," he said after meeting BNP Secretary General Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan at the latter's Gulshan residence yesterday.

Some other leaders also met Bhuiyan to discuss the reform proposals. They said they won't flinch from their plan to curtail the chairperson's unaccountable power enshrined in the party constitution and introduce a provision of fixed term for an individual as the party head.