Bangladesh's new caretaker government appealed on Thursday for more time to prove itself capable of holding impartial elections as an opposition deadline for renewed protests loomed.
The main opposition Awami League has given the caretaker administration overseeing January polls until Friday to make key political changes or face fresh street protests.
Thousands of activists took to the streets from October 27 in clashes that left 23 dead, as opposition parties accused the outgoing government of trying to rig the polls by appointing biased interim officials.
President Iajuddin Ahmed, self-appointed head of the caretaker administration overseeing the polls, has ordered civil servants to weed out politically biased staff in an attempt to head off the protests.
But one of his advisers told reporters late on Thursday: "We need space and time to resolve the issues." Akbar Ali Khan made the comments after being asked whether Bangladesh's chief election commissioner would be dismissed by Friday, meeting a key opposition demand.
As the deadline fast approached, the opposition repeated its demand for reforms but hinted it could grant the caretaker government extra time if it was satisfied that changes were afoot.
"We are ready to give more time provided the caretaker government's actions show signs of neutrality," Awami League secretary general Abdul Jalil said.
The president's order for a crackdown on party loyalists could result in hundreds of middle-ranking officials being moved to other duties.
"If we get any concrete suggestions that a particular official can influence the election process and result, the caretaker head has directed us to ... take immediate action against such officials," said A.F.M Solaiman Chowdhury, secretary of the Establishment Ministry which controls civil service changes.
"We're expecting some major changes," added establishment ministry spokesman Ali Hossen.
However the temporary government has remained silent on replacing election commissioner M.A. Aziz and his two deputies whom the opposition accuse of favouring the outgoing government. The Awami League has accused the commission under Aziz's stewardship of producing a voters' list with more than 10 million fake voters while many of its own supporters have been left off.
"We will not take part in any elections supervised by the current chief election commissioner," the Awami League's Jalil said on Wednesday.
Aziz on Thursday told reporters he was ready to continue in his post despite the threat of more street protests.
"I am prepared to hold elections," he said, urging "everyone to continue the democratic practice to take part in the election."
Polls have been scheduled as the five-year term of the ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party-led (BNP) coalition has just expired.