Gazi Group Chattogram 175 for 4 (Soumya 63, Liton 55, Emon 2-21) beat Minister Rajshahi 139 for 8 (Hasan 28, Mahedi 26, Nahidul 3-19) by 36 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Minister Rajshahi's 36-run defeat at the hands of Gazi Group Chattogram now leaves the onus on Fortune Barishal to win their last game, against Beximco Dhaka later in the evening, to make it to the playoffs. Rajshahi finish the tournament's league phase with two wins out of eight games, having now lost six matches on the trot.
Rajshahi could only reach 139 for 8 in 20 overs, chasing 176. Soumya Sarkar and Liton Das added 122 runs for the opening wicket, with both scoring fifties. Soumya struck four sixes and three fours in his 48-ball 63, while Liton struck five fours and a six in his 55 off 43 balls. Having added 365 runs in the tournament so far, with three fifty-plus and now a century stand, Soumya and Liton are the best batting pair in the tournament.
After both fell, there was enough time for Shamsur Rahman to hammer three sixes and a four in his unbeaten 18-ball 30, taking Chattogram to a competitive total.
It was an ordinary effort from the Rajshahi bowlers, exacerbated by young pace bowler Rejaur Rahman who bowled two beamers in the 19th over, both of which Shamsur smashed for sixes. Anisul Islam Emon took two wickets while Mohammad Saifuddin and Rejaur took one each. In reply, Rajshahi lost their top three - captain Najmul Hossain Shanto, Emon and Rony Talukdar - within the first 5.2 overs. Nurul Hasan and Mahedi Hasan brought a semblance of fight to their approach, but both batsmen fell inside the 15th over, leaving Saifuddin and the rest of the lower order with a tall task.
Chattogram's Nahidul Islam took three wickets while Ziaur Rahman took wickets. Left-arm quicks Shoriful Islam and Mustafizur and left-arm spinner Rakibul Hasan took one each.
Chattogram now face Gemcon Khulna in the first qualifier of the playoffs phase on Monday.
Mohammad Isam is ESPNcricinfo's Bangladesh correspondent. @isam84