Lucy Holt gets Bangladesh citizenship finally

British citizen Lucy Helen Francis Holt, living in Bangladesh for 57 years, got Bangladesh citizenship today.

Lucy Helen’s citizenship application was granted at an inter-ministerial meeting at home ministry today, Md Habibur Rahaman, deputy commissioner of Barisal, told our local correspondent.

Receiving the news from secretary sources, he personally met Lucy and conveyed the message that now she was a citizen of Bangladesh, DC Habibur said.

Read more

Returning the love

Luci was delighted hearing message and thanked Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for giving her citizenship, he added.

Earlier on February 1, a letter from ministry of home affairs signed by Monira Haque, senior assistant secretary, security services division, (immigration-II) extended her visa for next 15 years referring application of Lucy Holt dated December 13, 2017.

On February 8, Luci received her Visa extension from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at Barisal Bangabandhu Uddyan programme.

Lucy Helen Francis Holt, born in St Helens, England on December 16, 1930, is one of the nuns at the Barisal Oxford Mission Church.

Even though she was supposed to return home two years later, the sister was mesmerised by Bangladesh’s natural beauty and its people.

Since then, she has worked around the country.

Living in Bangladesh for the past 57 years, Sister Holt had joined Oxford Mission Church of Barisal at the age of 30 and spent most of times here.

A silent witness of Bangladesh’s War of Independence in 1971, Lucy Holt wrote to her relatives asking them to support the tortured people of the then East Pakistan in their liberation war against oppression of Pakistani occupants.

Sister Holt had treated wounded freedom fighters and people during that time serving at Fatema Hospital of Jessore and other places, according to church officials and locals.

Known in the mission and locality for her compassion and love for people, Sister Holt said she wanted to die in Barisal.