If you have missed out on all the latest updates of the day in this mid-week grind, then don't worry, we got you all covered.

Non-banks won't be defaulters if 50% instalments cleared by Dec

The Bangladesh Bank has relaxed its term loan repayment policy for non-bank financial institutions (NBFIs), days after it extended more time to the borrowers of banks to pay back loans. Borrowers who have taken up term loans, leases or investments from NBFIs will not be classified as defaulters if they repay, by this year, at least 50 percent of the instalments payable as of September, according to a notice of the central bank.

Top taxpayers in various sectors recognised

Bangladesh Test and T20I skipper Shakib Al Hasan, ODI captain Tamim Iqbal and wicketkeeper-batter Nurul Hasan Sohan have become the top taxpayers in the players' category for the tax year of 2021-22, according to the National Board of Revenue (NBR).

The Daily Star Editor and Publisher Mahfuz Anam and Prothom Alo Editor Matiur Rahman have been named as the top taxpayers in the journalist category for the seventh consecutive year in this category.

Transcom Group Chairman Shahnaz Rahman has been named as the highest taxpayer in the 'female' category for the tax year of 2021-2022.

Meanwhile, Mahfuz Ahmed, Mehazabien Chowdhury and Pijush Bandyopadhyay have become the top taxpayers in the actors' category for the tax year of 2021-22.

Rohingyas stranded off Indian coast

At least 100 Rohingya are stranded in a boat off India's Andaman Islands and as many as 16-20 may have died of thirst, hunger or drowned, said two Myanmar Rohingya activist groups. Each year many Rohingya, members of a Muslim minority, risk their lives boarding rickety vessels to escape violence in Myanmar and squalor in Bangladesh refugee camps. Many attempt to reach Malaysia.

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen urged the Parliamentary Union of the OIC Member States (PUIC) delegation members to enhance diplomatic efforts with major powers and ensure safe, dignified and sustained repatriation of Rohingya refugees to Myanmar.  Bangladesh is now hosting over 1.1 million Rohingyas in Cox's Bazar district and Bhasan Char.

Admission anomalies

The Education Ministry has formed monitoring committees to prevent charging of extra admission and readmission fees in different schools and colleges across the country. Members of four monitoring teams today started visiting different government and private schools and colleges. At least 16 monitoring committees formed by the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education are visiting educational institutions in Dhaka city, eight divisional monitoring committees in divisional headquarters and 55 district monitoring teams in district headquarters.

Fakhrul, Abbas denied bail yet again

A Dhaka court today rejected the bail petitions of BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and the party's standing committee member Mirza Abbas for the fourth time in a case filed over the December 7 clash between police and party men in Nayapaltan. During today's hearing, defence lawyers for Fakhrul and Abbas told the court that their clients' names were not included in the first information report of the case and said they were implicated in the case to harass them politically.