After dismissing star-studded Dhaka for only 143 the port city team ended the day on 61-2. Both wickets fell to wily Bangladesh left-arm spinner Mohammad Rafique.

At Rangpur first-round losers Rajshahi were within sight of victory against Sylhet.

Elsewhere, further overnight rain meant there was still no play between last year's champions Khulna and Barisal at the Jessore Stadium.

DHAKA V CHITTAGONG

Dhaka, which started another delayed day precariously, placed at 75-4, saw their innings terminated fifty minutes after tea. The only batsman that offered any resistance was Halim Shah.

Although the seasoned right-hander battled for nearly four hours to make an unbeaten 39, his gritty innings that was watched by two Bangladesh Cricket Board selectors, could not prevent his side's first innings debacle.

Regarded as a consistent performer on the domestic circuit, Halim hit only two fours in his 208-ball knock.

The other batsman to reach double digits was the Dhaka skipper Khaled Mahmud with 26.

Young right-arm pacer Gazi Alamgir wrapped up the Dhaka innings picking up the last two wickets with successive deliveries to finish with 5-44. Off-spinner Yasin Arafat conceded 35 runs in 19 overs for his three scalps that included Mahmud.

Chasing the modest total, the port city team negotiated the initial scare from Bangladesh's highest wicket-taker Mohammad Rafique.

The left-arm spinner had Anisul Hakim ( 8 ) caught by Naimur Rahman at slip and got rid of a well-set opener Masumuddowla, who offered a catch to Rashedul Haq at gully making 29 off 48 balls that produced five boundaries.

But before that paceman Neeyamur Rashid should have had Masum caught behind when he was on 16 but wicketkeeper Sajjad Kadir spilled the catch.

RAJSHAHI V SYLHET

Away at Rangpur Cricket Garden, a 100-run sixth wicket partnership between Hasanuzzaman and Shamimul Haq guided Rajshahi to take a 98-run first innings lead against Sylhet.

Rajshahi scored 200 for nine declared in response to Sylhet's 102.

Sylhet again fell into trouble in their second innings losing two wickets for 15 runs when stumps were drawn.

Paceman Aminul Islam and his new-ball partner Shahjada shared the wickets.

Earlier Nabil Samad captured five wickets for Sylhet but it could not stop the home side to take a first innings lead.

Middle-order batsman Hasanuzzaman hit 77 off 112 balls that featured eleven boundaries while Shamimul Haq was unbeaten on 33 off 121 balls with three hits across the rope.

Nabil took five wickets conceding only 41 runs in 25.2 overs while national pacer Tapas Baisya claimed two for 37 in 19 overs and Al-Wadud two for 26 run sin 8 overs.