Days after a move to ditch the Bangladesh Nationalist party (BNP) chief Khaleda Zia, a group of senior Awami League leaders have announced reform proposals that will tactfully oust Sheikh Hasina from the party leadership.

Abdur Razzak, a presidium member of the party, on Friday night announced a set of proposals for broad reforms that includes a provision barring a leader from holding any key position for more than two consecutive terms.

“A person will not be allowed to hold the office of party president or general secretary for more than two consecutive terms,” Razzak told reporters. “It will be applicable to leaders at all levels.”

He would not agree with reporters that his reform proposals were aimed at ousting Hasina, who had been elected party president five times. “The proposals are not intended to either include or exclude any individual,” he said. “The proposals have been prepared to uphold the ideology of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman (Sheikh Hasina’s father slain in 1975).” Matia Chowdhury, another presidium member, has termed those proposals as “imposed” on them from high-ups. “It is an attempt to reform by diktats,” she said.

Hasina has made no public statement to Razzak’s proposals, but her private secretary Hasan Mahmud said such an announcement was against the party tradition. “Reform proposals must be placed at party forum, not at press conference. It was not a proper act,” he said.

Pro-reform leaders of Khaleda’s BNP, who unveiled a 15-point proposal on June 25, have virtually abandoned her. The proposal says no one will hold office of the party chairperson and prime minister for more than two terms.