"We want to see a balance between the president's and the prime minister's powers to run the country with accountability," ZA Khan, an adviser to the BNP chairperson, told the reporters yesterday after meeting party Secretary General Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan at the latter's Gulshan residence.

They are working to make the party democratic and the party secretary general will make the proposal public within two or three days, said ZA Khan, who is known as a pro-reform leader in the party.

They have already prepared the draft of a comprehensive reform proposal to bring reforms in parliamentary and administrative affairs to 'change the country's political culture and ensure good governance'.

"We are also considering a proposal to set up a national security council and a monitoring cell to observe the parliamentary activities," a pro-reform leader said yesterday.

The proposals also include reduction of the government's tenure from five years to four years, banning political activities like hartal and road blockade, and making the parliament more effective.

The reformists are also planning to make suggestion as to how to make effective the parliamentary standing committee as a watchdog body to prevent corruption in the ministry concerned as well as in the government.

"Preparation is going on and the secretary general will tell you in details soon," said Sardar Shakhawat Hossain Bakul, a former lawmaker and close aide of Mannan Bhuiyan.

Several other former lawmakers, party leaders and workers also met Bhuiyan yesterday to discuss the reform issue.

Earlier on Wednesday, Bhuiyan told the reporters that they are preparing a new proposal regarding the overall political culture and state affairs, in addition to the proposal for the party.