The people of Saint Martin’s island have been experiencing incessant rain since the crack of dawn on Friday.

But braving the downpour, a large number of helpless people gathered in front of the hotel C Sen to collect relief being distributed countrywide at the initiative of Prothom Alo Trust.

A total of 100 flood-affected families have received the gift packets—containing rice, potatoes, oil, onions and masks—on Friday at 8:30 am, maintaining health guidelines set by the government to check Covid-19 transmission.

Shahjalal Sarkar, headmaster of St. Martin’s BN Islamic School and College; Habibur Rahman Khan, member of St. Martin’s Union Parished; Syed Alam, general secretary of St. Martin’s Service Boat Owners’ Association; local journalist Nur Mohammad, among others, were present to oversee the food distribution.

Headmaster Shahjalal Sarkar said Prothom Alo is always first. For the first time in the history of the island, Mohammad Ismail–the only student from the school [St. Martin’s BN Islamic School and College] attained GPA-5 in SSC examination this year–has been approved for Prothom Alo Trust scholarship. The trust has set another precedent by distributing food among the flood-affected families.