Sri Lanka took a 1-0 lead in the three-match Twenty20 international series after edging past Bangladesh by three runs at Sylhet International Cricket Stadium Monday.
Chasing 207, the Tigers fell agonizingly short of the target, despite brisk half centuries from Mahmudullah and Jaker Ali Anik.
Mahmudullah struck 54 off 31 balls, studded with two fours and four sixes, while Jaker blasted 68 off 34 deliveries, laced with four boundaries and half a dozen maximums.
The middle-order batting duo rescued the hosts after a top-order collapse.
Opener Liton Das departed without troubling the scorers while Towhid Hridoy went to the pavilion after making eight.
Other opener Soumya Sarkar and captain Nazmul Hossain Shanto fared little better, getting out for 12 and 20 respectively.
Angelo Mathews, Dasun Shanaka and Binura Fernando bagged two wickets each for the Lankans.
Earlier, Sadeera Samarawickrama and Kusal Mendis each slammed a fifty to power Sri Lanka to 206/3.
Samarawickrama struck an unbeaten 61 off 48 balls after Mendis hit 59 off 36 balls as the visitors overcame a slow start to put an imposing total after Bangladesh sent them in.
Stand-in skipper Charith Asalanka played his part with 44 not out from 21 balls.
Mendis and Samarawickrama shared 96 runs for the third wicket after Sri Lanka lost their first two wickets for 37 runs.
Shoriful Islam removed Avishka Fernando for four in the second ball of the innings before Taskin Ahmed had Kamindu Mendis caught by Soumya Sarkar at midwicket for 19.
Mendis hit leg-spinner Rishad Hossain for a four and two sixes off consecutive balls to race to his fifty off 27 balls.
Rishad returned for his next spell to exact the revenge as Mahmudullah took a well-judged catch at long off boundary to end the innings of Mendis.
Asalanka joined Samarawickrama to continue the assault, adding 73 for the unbroken fourth wicket, including 24 runs from the last over of the innings bowled by Mustafizur Rahman.
The series marks the start of Sri Lanka's month-long tour of Bangladesh, which also includes three one-day internationals and two Tests.
1ST T20I
Sri Lanka 206/3 (Samarawickrama 61*, Mendis 59) beat Bangladesh 203/8 (Jaker 68, Mahmudullah 54) by 3 runs
