These leaders are planning to hold the party council within August excluding Khaleda as they think that the arrest of the party chief, who is almost "confined" to her cantonment residence, is now a matter of time.

They now also believe that they will be able to take a decision about implementing the reforms after deciding about Khaleda since the arrest of Awami League President Sheikh Hasina has changed the situation.

The leaders, however, refused to make any comment on Hasina's arrest.

"The situation is not good for politicians...Each and everyone--whether a reformist or anti-reforms, honest or dishonest--is now panicked," a former lawmaker in the league of the BNP reformists told The Daily Star.

Most of these pro-reform BNP leaders, who have been regular at the residence of party Secretary General Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, were not seen there yesterday.

Sources close to Bhuiyan, who is playing the key role to bring changes in the party constitution keeping the party chairperson aside, said the pro-reform leaders will announce the date for holding the party council if Khaleda is arrested soon.

"It will be tough to hold the council in the presence of the chairperson as she has already opposed holding of the council amid the state of emergency," a BNP leader yesterday told The Daily Star.

Sources said the pro-reform leaders are maintaining close contact with the district level leaders and have advised them to convince party workers in favour of holding the council as soon as possible.

Sarder Sakhawat Hossain Bakul, former lawmaker close to Bhuiyan, told The Daily Star that they want to hold the council within August. "We sent the reform proposals to our councillors at the district and upazila levels and we are getting positive response from them," he said.

Rehana Akhter Ranu, another former lawmaker of the party, however opposed holding of the council in the absence of Khaleda. "Those who will try to hold the council in the absence of the chairperson will be identified as traitors," she said.

Rehana also rejected the possibility of Khaleda being arrested. "There is no reason to arrest madam [Khaleda] as there is no case against her," she said.