BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia appears to be in a quandary whether to give in to the growing pressure for reforms both from within and outside her party or to quit politics. She has been in virtual isolation as most of the senior leaders have opted to keep away from her during the present crisis situation. They believe it is about time she relinquishes absolute power she holds over the BNP. Many of them in fact want the former prime minister to bow out of politics to pave the way for the reforms that the party needs badly, sources said.
On her part, things continue to slip with both of her sons now sued for extortion. Her elder son, BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Tarique Rahman, has been detained since March 7 while the other one, Arafat Rahman, was not permitted to accompany her in a trip to Singapore that was later cancelled.
Once acclaimed as an uncompromising politician, she is now desperate to negotiate an understanding with the authorities so they treat Tarique and Arafat leniently. That her younger son might as well be detained on charge of corruption has added to her anxieties about the future of her sons.
Sources say if she does not agree to leave the chairperson's post to allow changes in the party, a number of graft cases might be filed against her.
Intelligence agencies are assembling information about financial irregularities that took place in different ministries particularly in the energy and power ministry under her leadership in the last five years, added the sources.
The government has already gathered information about her bank accounts to detect shady transactions, if there's any. Besides, a few of the BNP chairperson's kin might be rounded up in the ongoing anti-graft drive that, many believe, will force her into tighter corners.
Against this backdrop, she is dithering over whether to leave the country or try to work her way out of troubled times. Earlier, the BNP chief had reportedly agreed to go abroad with Arafat and the other family members on condition that her elder son would later join them. But as she suddenly changed her mind, an extortion case was filed against her younger son.
Since the military-backed interim government began cracking down on the graft suspects including top political leaders, businessmen and bureaucrats, a number of senior leaders started to blame Khaleda for the BNP being in such a mess.
Even when she was confined to her cantonment residence for weeks, very few of the leaders protested the government restrictions on their chief's movement.
Brigadier General (retired) Hannan Shah, came out to be the only person to speak for Khaleda. He had been informing the media of the developments regarding her condition and the reported government pressure on her to go into exile. But soon he too was charged with extortion and arrested, leaving the former premier in the lurch.
Some of the senior leaders, meantime, have gone public with criticism that as the prime minister she was turning a blind eye to the rampant corruption. They suggested curtailing her power to ensure transparency and accountability in the party.
They also criticised Khaleda's unilateral decision to make her brother Sayeed Iskander a vice-president of the party at a time when reform of the political parties is at the forefront of public attention.
The leaders are pressing for a radical change in the party 'for the sake of democracy' even if it means an end to the era of Zia dynasty. They have been relentless in trying to convince the fellow partymen that no meaningful reform is possible with Khaleda at the helm, sources said.
It was learnt that the senior leaders are already thinking about the future of BNP minus Khaleda. A number of those who had left the party in protest at the politics of dynasty might return to the post-Khaleda BNP, sources said. A senior BNP leader, who is spearheading the efforts to rid the party of dynastic politics, said once she calls it a day, the top post will be filled by someone capable of commanding respect of the leaders and workers alike.