Bangladesh bomb explosion death toll rises to 22

Authorities have ordered an investigation into the weekend bombing at a ruling party political rally in which at least 22 people were killed.

Fourteen people died in Saturday night's explosion at the Narayanganj office of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's Awami League party.

Eight more died in hospital or while trying to get there, doctors and police said.

Among the dead were four women, including a mother and her son, a senior police officer said.

"This is a heinous attack and we have ordered an investigation to find the culprits," Home Minister Mohammad Nasim told reporters after visiting the scene of the explosion in Narayanganj, 10 miles from the capital, Dhaka.

More than 300 activists of the Awami League Party were crammed inside a small auditorium in the party's office when the bomb went off.

At least 100 people were injured in the explosion, police said. Among them was prominent lawmaker Shamim Osman, who was making a speech when the explosion ripped through the hall.

Osman and 11 others have been operated upon at Dhaka's Combined Military Hospital.

Police detained a man from the explosion site, but did not provide any details about him except for identifying him by one name, Liton.

No group claimed responsibility for the attack and police did not say if there were any suspects. Previous attacks have been blamed by Hasina on Islamic fundamentalists.