Dhaka, Nov. 9 -- With just one day left before the interim government's deadline for political parties to reach a consensus on the July National Charter, Bangladesh's political landscape appears more divided than ever.

Instead of coming to the table, the country's largest opposition parties - the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami - are trading threats of street mobilization and accusations of bias, raising fears of renewed confrontation ahead of February's parliamentary elections.

The one-week ultimatum, issued by the Advisory Council of Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus last Monday, called on all political parties to hold talks among themselves and present a unified position on the proposed referendum and reform agenda....