"I welcome all reform proposals from the party leaders, workers and people from all strata of life as well as Bangladeshis living abroad," she said in a statement issued just an hour after BNP Secretary General Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan announced intra-party reform proposals.

Goyeswar Chandra Ray, joint secretary general of the party, at a press briefing at his business office at Fakirapool, read out and distributed copies of the statement on behalf of the party chairperson. She sent the statement to him through a messenger, Goyeswar said.

"Proposals for bringing changes in the party constitution should be placed before party councillors, and they will take the final decision according to the party constitution," Khaleda said in her statement.

"BNP has become a big political party through (sacrifice of) blood and hard work of its leaders, workers and supporters from 68 thousand villages in the country," said the former prime minister.

Asked why Khaleda issued this statement as the reform proposals put forward by Mannan Bhuiyan also said the party council will take the final decision on those, Goyeswar said, "She thought a confusion might be created as she was not present during the announcement of reform proposal by some party leaders."

Goyeswar hoped the government will now allow them to hold party council so that it could take the decision on reform proposals.

Brushing aside reports of conflicts among top leaders of the BNP, he said there are no differences among them on the reform issue.

Khaleda Zia last night told Voice of America over telephone that she read in newspapers and watched on television those proposals, but reforms cannot be brought about following discussions with "a handful of people".

She said it needs a forum for discussion, and when the ban on indoor politics would go, they would discuss the proposals from all levels of party leaders and workers.

"All reform proposals from BNP and its front organisations will be placed before the council where councillors will decide which to be accepted and which not," she said.

Meanwhile, according to the BNP constitution, presidents, general secretaries and organising secretaries of all the 480 upazila and 147 municipality committees of the party, presidents, vice-presidents, general secretaries, assistant general secretaries and organising secretaries of 72 organisational district committees, all members of the central executive committee, standing committee and advisory council of the party chairperson will be treated as councillors, and they may effect any changes in the party constitution.

Besides this, the chairperson may nominate 10 percent more people as councillors from different units of the party. Around 3,000 councillors will decide on reform proposals, and among them at least 400 are in jails across the country on different charges.