Afghanistan 161 for 3 (Rahmat 67*, Shahidi 36*, Taskin 2-36) beat Bangladesh 160 (Emon 70, Saif 41, Rashid 4-31, Ahmadzai 2-21) by seven wickets
Afghanistan completely outplayed Bangladesh to seal a seven-wicket win and their place in Friday's tri-series final against Zimbabwe.
Bangladesh's 160 was never going to be enough, as Afghanistan strolled home in the chase in 35.3 overs.
Afghanistan have now beaten Bangladesh in five consecutive ODIs, with their captain Rahmat Shah scoring an unbeaten 67.
It was, however, their bowlers who set up the win. Rashid Khan took another four-wicket haul after their seamers Yamin Ahmadzai and Azmatullah Omarzai knocked over Bangladesh's first four wickets by the seventh over. Bangladesh were eventually bowled out for 160 with Ahmadzai and Omarzai taking two wickets each, while Mohammad Nabi and Bilal Sami picked up one apiece.
Ahmadzai struck in the second over when he got one to seam away from Tanzid Hasan who followed the path of the ball and was caught behind for one. Soumya Sarkar fell next ball, inside-edging an ambitious on-the-up drive into the stumps.
Omarzai then gave Najmul Hossain Shanto a working over, before finding his outside edge in the seventh over. Later in the over, Towhid Hridoy gave him a return catch, that Omarzai grabbed one-handed. Bangladesh slipped to 28 for four in the seventh over.
Saif Hassan, who survived the collapse, now tried to salvage the innings. He struck the ball cleanly with a couple of cover drives, while Parvez Hossain Emon, drafted into the side to replace the injured new captain Litton Das, helped him with some handy runs.
Emon swept the ball well against Mohammad Nabi and Rashid, nailing three fours, while slamming Bilal Sami for a pulled six. He reached his second ODI half-century, but Saif fell next ball. The 93-run fifth-wicket stand ended when Nabi slowed up an off-break, to which Saif hoicked needlessly, top-edging a skier to the cover fielder.
Bangladesh's long tail predictably got exposed, particularly by Rashid. He removed Shoriful, Emon, Al Islam and Mustafizur Rahman. Emon made 70 off 96 balls with five fours and two sixes, falling lbw to Rashid's deadly slider. Nabi took a tumbling catch to remove the hapless Aliss, before Rashid closed things up next ball with Mustafizur's wicket.
Only wickets would have sufficed for Bangladesh to defend 160 runs. Taskin made that task harder when he gave away two big wides. He made it up though, with a beautiful inswinger that scissored through Rahmanullah Gurbaz in the third over.
Sediqullah Atal crunched a cover drive off Taskin, before the Bangladesh head coach Phil Simmons signaled to Taskin to come around the wicket to the left-handed batter. Taskin followed the instruction, and clean bowled Atal with a beautiful delivery that swung in and left the batter.
Afghanistan captain Rahmat Shah and Ibrahim Zadran held their shots for more than five overs. Rahmat cut Islam for a four through point, before hammering him over mid-off in the debutant's next over. Rahmat struck Mustafizur for two fours in the 18th over, before Zadran pulled the same bowler for his second four.
Mustafizur then ended Zadran's stay for 34, getting him to top-edge a slower ball to Shanto at mid-on. Zadran and Rahmat added 56 runs for the third wicket. Rahmat and Hashmatullah Shahidi controlled the chase thereafter, with the Afghanistan captain reaching his 34th half-century in ODIs.
His single to start the 28th over confirmed the final line-up as Afghanistan reached 121 for 3, knocking out Bangladesh from the tri-series. Shahidi then slammed Taskin for his first boundary through square-leg, before he struck Islam for two fours in the 30th over.
Rahmat was unbeaten on 67 off 90 balls with five fours, while Shahidi contributed with 36 off 54 balls. They added 66 runs for the unbroken fourth-wicket partnership.