And Sarkar - missed by keeper Chris Read off spinner Gareth Batty - grew in confidence as their stand approached three figures.
The partnership was worth 108 when, on the stroke of lunch, Bashar edged a drive against Batty into the hands of Marcus Trescothick at slip.
Alok Kapali threatened to inflict more damage after the interval. But having moved into double figures he went for an ambitious hook against Steve Harmison for Mark Butcher to take a well judged catch, running back at square leg.
When Sarkar followed for 58 two overs later, England could see some daylight. Driving off the back foot, the opener edged Matthew Hoggard into Trescothick's safe hands.
Ashley Giles briefly threatened to become the force he should be out here by having Khaled Mashud caught, off bat and pad, by a diving Nasser Hussain at silly point.
But England needed the second new ball - and a huge slice of luck to break through again at 219. Opener Javed Omar, batting down the order because of a thigh strain, battled to 27 before being given lbw to Hoggard.
He edged the ball into his pad but Sri Lankan umpire Ashoka de Silva missed the deflection.
Ashoka had a shocker during Bangladesh's recent series against Pakistan, according to folk in these parts, and a noisy, excitable crowd made their displeasure clear this evening. All England were concerned about, though, was trying to limit the lead.
In fairness, it might have been easier for them if Bashar had fallen for three this morning when he appeared to glove a catch down the leg side while trying to pull Hoggard.
But Bangladesh had a couple of perfectly good appeals turned down during the visitors' first innings.
The real problem today was that the bowler who should have been England's trump card disappointed again.
Giles looked so ineffective he was given only five of the first 58 overs, leaving rookie spinner Batty to shoulder most of his --burden. Even when the left-armer did strike on returning to the attack it failed to galvanise him.
Meanwhile, South Africa were 256 for nine at the close on the first day of the Second Test against Pakistan in Faisalabad. Herschelle Gibbs made 98.
