A feeble effort with the bat has seen the Blackcaps lose the fourth T20 international against Bangladesh, bowing by six wickets at Dhaka to fall to an unassailable 3-1 deficit in the five-match series.
Chasing 94, Bangladesh eased to their target with six wickets and five balls to spare, thanks to an unbeaten 43 from captain Mahmudullah.
The result comes after Bangladesh sealed a 4-1 win over Australia earlier this year, with the two series wins moving the Tigers up to No.6 on ICC T20 team rankings.
Captain Tom Latham won the toss and chose to bat first on a used wicket, but the Blackcaps were quickly in trouble, as both Rachin Ravindra (0) and Finn Allen (12) departed early to leave New Zealand at 16/2 inside the powerplay.
After a brief stand worth 35 runs with Will Young, Latham was the next to go, stumped by Nurul Hasan, off the bowling of Mahedi Hasan, for 21.
A middle-order wobble saw Henry Nicholls (1), Colin de Grandhomme (0), Tom Blundell (4) and Cole McConchie (0) all depart in quick succession, as the Blackcaps slipped from 51/2 to 74/7.
The only resistance came from Young, who fell in the final over for a well-made 46 from 48 balls, including five boundaries and one six.
But Young couldn't halt the New Zealand skid, as the Blackcaps were bowled out for 93 in 19.3 overs, leaving Bangladesh a target of 94 to clinch the series with a game to spare.
Nasum Ahmed finished as the pick of the Bangladesh bowlers with 4/10, ably supported by Mustafizur Rahman's 4/12.
In response, the Blackcaps struck early to remove opener Liton Das, who was caught spectacularly on the legside boundary by Allen, off the bowling of Cole McConchie, to have the hosts at 8/1.
Shakib Al Hasan (8) and Mushfiqur Rahim (0) both followed, dismissed in the same Ajaz Patel over at 32/3 and bringing Mahmudullah to the crease.
In a match-winning 34-run partnership with opener Mohammad Naim (29), Mahmudullah played the perfect captain's knock to see Bangladesh over the line, hitting one four and two sixes in his innings.
Naim was run out late in the innings by substitute fielder Doug Bracewell, but it was too little too late for the Blackcaps, as Afif Hossain (6 not out) and Mahmudullah added 29 runs in 28 balls together to seal the win.
Patel finished as the pick of the Blackcaps bowlers, with figures of 2/9 from his four overs, while young all-rounder Ravindra also impressed, despite not taking a wicket, with his spell conceding just eight runs.
Ultimately, neither Patel nor Ravindra had enough runs to defend, with Bangladesh able to target the rest of New Zealand's bowling attack and complete a history-making victory.
The two sides will now play the fifth and final T20 international - a dead rubber - on Friday night (NZ time).
Join us at 10pm Friday for live updates of the Blackcaps v Bangladesh fifth T20 match
