Bangladesh government blames opposition leader for fatal blast

Home Minister Mohammad Nasim comforts injured lawmaker Shamin Osman after the attack

DHAKA, Bangladesh (CNN) -- Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Sunday said her predecessor -- the leader of the opposition -- played a role in an bomb attack on a local office of the country's ruling Awami League.

Saturday's blast in the riverport city of Narayanganj killed 22 people and injured roughly 100 others.

Hasina, who has blamed right-wing leaders for earlier blasts, cited Khaleda Zia -- a former prime minister and leader of the rightist Bangladesh Nationalist Party -- in connection with Sunday's bombing. She made her comments to parliament and in a subsequent television interview.

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In a separate incident, Zia clashed with Awami activists as she traveled to a church in Hasina's home district Sunday. BNP sources said Zia's jeep came under gunfire attack and that police did nothing to help her, but that could not be independently confirmed. She was not injured, but she never made it to the church, which had been bombed 11 days ago.

In Saturday's blast, nearly 200 Awami League party officials were meeting in the building at the time. A ruling party member of parliament was among the injured.

VIDEO A report on the growing death toll and who is to blame for this attack Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media)

Narayanganj is about 25 miles from the capital, Dhaka.

Bangladesh has been rocked by a string of recent bombings, including one earlier this month at a Christian missionary hospital that killed 10 people. Hasina has blamed the bombings on right-wing parties, but conclusive links have not been established.

An officer looks over the scene of devastation

Parliament is considering a special security law to beef up protection for the prime minister because of threats against her life.

Bangladesh is preparing for parliamentary elections later this year. The current government's term of office expires July 13.

Journalist Almas Zakiuddin in Dakar contributed to this report.