Mehrab Hossain Jr and Mushfiqur Rahim hit fifties as Bangladesh finished day one of the first Test at 183 for four.

The pair, who were unbeaten at lunch in Chittagong, added 82 runs in the final session, providing a much-needed spark after the higher order batsmen struggled to cope with the Black Caps' attack.

At one point the hosts were 44 for four but Hossain Jnr (79 not out) and Mushfiqur (59no) injected some impetus with 20 boundaries between them.

In contrast, the four batsmen above them in the order managed just two in total - both coming from Tamim Iqbal who made 18 off 90 balls before being caught behind off Daniel Vettori for the tourists' second wicket.

Bangladesh lost opener Junaid Siddique with the seventh ball of the innings, Iain O'Brien removing him lbw for a first-ball duck, and although the hosts recovered and did not lose any more wickets before lunch, they amassed just 34 runs.

Vettori and O'Brien did the damage after lunch, Vettori removing Tamim before O'Brien grabbed his second wicket.

The victim, Rajin Saleh, had stubbornly stuck around for 129 balls, making just 20 runs, but finally went when he tried to force O'Brien through the off-side and edged on to his stumps.

Mohammad Ashraful was also frustrating New Zealand, making two off 35 balls, but Vettori cut short his innings by trapping him lbw in the 43rd over.

Hossain Jnr and Mushfiqur progressed well after lunch, with the former completing his second Test 50 in 84 balls and Mushfiqur reaching the same milestone from 138.

Their collective 139 was the best fifth-wicket partnership for Bangladesh in Tests since Aminul Islam and Ashraful against Sri Lanka in 2001 and leaves the hosts in a promising position heading into day two.