The BNP chief on Saturday said the reforms issue would be settled at a council where everyone would have their say, and necessary changes would be brought about for the greater interest of the party, not to pander to any individual's whims.

Those for radical changes in the party that was in power for the highest three times said they hope this time the councillors who did not have the opportunity to have a council in the last 14 years would be able to speak their mind.

"She [Khaleda] is our leader, we respect her and want to make it clear again that the council will decide everything," said BNP Vice-president Hafiz Uddin Ahmed adding that they are hopeful they would have the majority required to bring changes in the party constitution.

The preparations for the council are on, he told reporters at the Gulshan residence of BNP Secretary General Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan.

Asked how they would arrange the council with a state of emergency in place, he said there should not be any problem if the government permits. "We will seek permission from the government once we are done with our preparations."

Meanwhile, the pro-reform group is making some more changes in the reform proposals unveiled on June 25.

Major Hafiz, also a former minister, said one of the changes suggests that no one should be elected district level president and general secretary for more than three terms.

Earlier, they declared that none would be allowed to become chairman or secretary general more than twice.

Lauding the party chief for her stand in favour of council, BNP Joint Secretary General Ashraf Hossain said, "I couldn't agree more [with her]. No one had any chance to give their opinions as there was no council in the last 14 years."

He maintained that the proposed reforms would be implemented according to the party constitution.

Queried if the reform proposals have reached the leaders down to the grassroots level, Ashraf, a close aide to Mannan Bhuiyan, said they could not yet send the proposals to everyone due mainly to the ban on indoor politics.

"I would like to thank her as she has finally acknowledged the need for holding a council," Ziaul Haque Mollah, former lawmaker from Bogra, told reporters after meeting Bhuiyan yesterday.

About Khaleda's comment that everyone would have to be allowed to speak at the council, Engineer Shahiduzzaman, another former lawmaker, said, "First, we'll have to find out if all the councillors are still alive as it's been 14 years since the last council took place."

Khaleda Zia is confident the councillors will still prefer her at the helm if the council were held in a democratic way, said sources close to her.

However, the pro-reform leaders believe the next council will reject her and choose a new leadership in the light of the proposed reforms. They are convinced that maximum councillors will side with them to ensure intra-party democracy.