Mohammad Ismail regained his status as the nation's fastest sprinter after four years, capitalising on the absence of England-based national record holder Imranur Rahman at the 48th National Athletics Championship held at the National Stadium in Dhaka on Monday.

Shirin Akter, meanwhile, maintained her dominance in the women's 100m event, securing the title for a record 16th time.

Shirin in action during the women's 100m sprint final event. Photo: Firoz Ahmed

Ismail, who last won the 100m gold medal during the Bangladesh Games in 2021 before losing his title to Imranur Rahman in 2022, clocked 10.61 seconds -- 0.02 less than his Bangladesh Navy teammate Rakibul Hasan -- while Jubail Islam of Bangladesh Army won the bronze medal, clocking 10.89 seconds.

The race was closely contested, with Rakibul leading up to the 90-metre mark before Ismail produced a strong final surge to take the title.

"No one wants to lose his position, and I am no exception to that. There are many strong competitors in the 100m sprint, and I have been trying to improve myself day by day. I have trained for seven successive months to become the fastest man of this national championship," Ismail told reporters after becoming champion for the fifth time.

Ismail in action during the men's 100m sprint final event. Photo: Firoz Ahmed

Asked about Imranur's absence, Ismail acknowledged that competing against him would have added extra pressure but insisted that the other sprinters had also performed at their best, making the victory no less challenging.

In the women's 100m sprint, Shirin of Navy was once again unstoppable as she clocked 12.01 seconds to win the 100m sprint, while Sumaya Dewan of Navy and Azmi Khatun of BKSP won silver and bronze medals, respectively, clocking 12.15 and 12.50 seconds.

"It was not easy to defend the 100m title because the competitors were also strong and performed well," said Shirin, explaining her regular training under coach Abdullah Hel Kafi and the support from Bangladesh Navy behind her unstoppable performance.

Ismail and Shirin at the medal podium. Photo: Firoz Ahmed

Controversy, however, overshadowed the 400m event, as organisers allegedly altered the competition format mid-tournament to accommodate star sprinter Zahir Raihan. Despite winning his heat, Zahir had failed to qualify for the final based on his timing.

Initially set to miss the final, Zahir was given another chance when organisers introduced semifinals -- an addition not originally planned. He then topped the semifinals to ensure his place on Tuesday's eight-athlete final.

Bangladesh Athletics Federation joint secretary and event manager Kitab Ali admitted to an oversight in not including semifinals in the schedule or informing athletes that final qualification would be based on the timing of the heats. However, he defended the decision to adjust the format, stating that it was done in line with IAAF regulations.