A three-member committee led by a former lawmaker drafted the proposals with directions from Khaleda, which will be placed before a party council for bringing changes in the party constitution.

Khaleda in her draft proposals however did not mention provisions regarding term limits for the posts of party chairperson and secretary general.

The source said the former premier did not get any copy of the reform proposals announced by party Secretary General Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan on June 25, although she had asked that camp of the reformists to meet her.

Meanwhile, reformist leaders of Mannan camp said they are searching for alternative ways in case the chairperson does not give her consent to holding a party council amid the ongoing state of emergency. They said their preparations for holding the council are nonetheless going on in full swing.

They are also preparing themselves for calling a 'meeting of councillors on popular demand' on the issue of party reforms if the chairperson does not agree to hold a council. Such a meeting might become necessary since the party's constitution does not have any provision for calling a 'requisitioned meeting', reformists of Mannan camp said.

The Mannan camp reformists also claimed that they are continuing their campaign for their reform proposal among prospective councillors eliciting support from many of them.

According to the leaders, Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan will announce a revised proposal in a day or two and he will also clear his position regarding the party chairperson's recent comment that he is involved in anti-party activities.

"Proposals are still coming and the secretary general will meet the chairperson after finalising the proposal," Maj (retd) Hafiz Uddin Ahmed told reporters yesterday after meeting Bhuiyna in the latter's Gulshan residence.

The Mannan camp reformists said their leader in the reform campaign did not do anything violating the party constitution and he will clear his position regarding the chairperson's accusation soon.

"We are not doing anything violating the party constitution, the secretary general announced the proposal to serve the party's interest," Hafiz Uddin, a vice-president of BNP, said adding that many of their party leaders are in jail so everybody must understand the predicament, and they are being mindful of Khaleda's sentiment under the current situation.

"A state of emergency is on... indoor politics is banned.... even the movement of our chairperson is restricted ... that is why we couldn't meet her," he said adding that they have trust in the chairperson and she also should have trust in them.

"The secretary general will meet the chairperson after finalising the reform proposal as suggestions are still coming in," he added.

When asked to comment on Khaleda's remark that the secretary general might face disciplinary actions if he does anything violating the party constitution, Hafiz said, "The secretary general will respond to her personally and that will be the end of the misunderstanding."

Pro-Mannan reformist and a former state minister Prof Rejaul Karim, who also met the secretary general yesterday, said they are working for real democracy in the party. "Some new proposals might be added and some might get deleted," he said.

Some other grassroots level leaders also met Mannan Bhuiyan yesterday to express their support for his party reform initiative.