Mohammad Ashraful led from the front, scoring just his second hundred in ODIs as Bangladesh beat the United Arab Emirates by 96 runs in their Asia Cup opener in Lahore.

The has effectively knocked the UAE out of the competition, unless they can upset Sri Lanka in their Group A match.

Bangladesh, who scored 300-8 thanks to Ashraful's 109 and Raqibul Hasan's quick 83, limited the lowly UAE to 204 at the Gaddafi Stadium.

Ashraful's last hundred three years ago helped pull off an upset win over Australia three years ago, and he has been touted as the next best thing in a long list of stylish Asian batsmen.

But Bangladesh have fared poorly under his captaincy in recent times. This win has ended a seven-match losing streak.

The Bangladesh skipper's runs came in 126 balls with eight fours, while Hasan's runs came off just 63 balls with nine fours. The two added 141 runs in a little over 20 overs, after opener Tamim Iqbal (40 from 66) had laid the foundation with a 95-run second wicket partnership with Ashraful.

For the UAE, their veteran player, the 37-year-old Khurram Khan, scored 78 (81 balls, 8 fours) and waged a lonely battle as wickets fell around him.

Abdur Razzaq, Bangladesh's left arm spinner took 3-20 to puncture the middle order resistance.

Bangladesh will next play Sri Lanka on Wednesday in a Group A match at the Gaddafi.