Captain Tatenda Taibu struck an unbeaten 81 to put Zimbabwe in a strong position against Bangladesh on the third day of the second and final Test on Sunday.
Zimbabwe, 1-0 down in the series, recovered from a faltering start to reach 203 for six in their second innings by the close, a lead of 290 runs.
Taibu, who was left stranded on 85 not out in the first innings, shared in a fifth-wicket stand of 150 with Brendan Taylor (78) as the visitors wrested back the advantage gained by Bangladesh early in the afternoon session.
Zimbabwe, who took a first-innings lead of 87 after dismissing the hosts for 211 earlier in the day, had been reduced to 37 for four shortly after lunch.
Bangladesh had resumed on their overnight score of 169 for eight and the tail-enders combined to add 42 more runs before seamer Tinashe Panyangara and spinner Graeme Cremer brought the innings to an end.
Mashrafe Mortaza was caught by Elton Chigumbura at mid-off for 26 as he tried to hit Panyangara to the boundary.
Tapash Baisya then became the final wicket to fall when he was caught by Chigumbura off the bowling of Cremer for 13.
Zimbabwe seamer Douglas Hondo finished with career-best figures of six for 59 while Cremer took two for 32.
Medium pacer Mortaza picked up his first wicket in the Zimbabwe second innings when he trapped Stuart Matsikenyeri leg before wicket for 14 with the score on 30.
Resuming on 30-1 after lunch, Zimbabwe then lost three wickets for seven runs as Mortaza removed Dion Ebrahim (one) and Barney Rogers (20) and Mohammad Rafique dismissed Hamilton Masakadza (one).
However, Taibu and Taylor then steadied the innings for the southern Africans before Taylor was bowled by Enamul Haque junior for a career-best 78, his second Test fifty.
Part-time spinner Mohammad Ashraful removed Chigumbura, caught behind, for no score shortly before the close.
Zimbabwe have just returned from suspension after the International Cricket Council ruled their team was too weak to play Test cricket.
Scorecard:
Zimbabwe first innings 298
Bangladesh first innings (overnight 169-8)
Javed Omar c Taibu b Hondo 34
Nafis Iqbal c Taibu b Hondo 28
Habibul Bashar b Hondo 10
Mohammad Ashraful lbw b Hondo 5
Rajin Saleh c Masakadza b Cremer 24
Aftab Ahmed c Matsikenyeri b Hondo 0
Khaled Mashud b Hondo 0
Mohammad Rafique c Ebrahim b Masakadza 56
Mashrafe Mortaza c Chigumbura b Panyangara 26
Tapash Baisya c Chigumbura b Cremer 13
Enamul Haque jnr not out 3
Extras (lb-7 nb-5) 12
Total (all out, 78.4 overs) 211
Fall of wickets: 1-58, 2-71, 3-84, 4-85, 5-103, 6-107, 7-132, 8-168, 9-203
Bowling: Panyangara 17-5-37-1 (nb-5), Mpofu 11-3-28-0, Hondo 22-7-59-6, Chigumbura 9-1-32-0, Cremer 12.4-1-32-2, Masakadza 7-1-16-1
Zimbabwe second innings
S.Matsikenyeri lbw b Mashrafe Mortaza 14
B.Rogers lbw b Mashrafe Mortaza 20
D.Ebrahim lbw Mashrafe Mortaza 1
H.Masakadza c Rajin Saleh b Mohammad Rafique 1
B.Taylor b Enamul Haque jnr 78
T.Taibu not out 81
E.Chigumbura b Khaled Mashud b Mohammad Ashraful 0
T.Panyangara not out 2
Extras (lb-2, nb-4) 6
Total (for six wickets, 72 overs) 203
Fall of wickets: 1-30, 2-36, 3-37, 4-37, 5-187, 6-196
To bat: D.Hondo, C.Mpofu, G.Cremer,
Bowling: Mashrafe Mortaza 16-6-45-3, Tapash Baisya 10-2-32-0, Mohammad Rafique 18-6-47-1, Enamul Haque jnr 22-4-67-1 (nb-4), Mohammad Ashraful 6-2-10-1
