It was a battle worth fought for more than half a century.
Lucy Helen Francis Holt, the British national living in Bangladesh for 57 years, finally got the country’s citizenship on Monday.
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Lucy Helen’s citizenship application was granted at an inter-ministerial meeting at the Bangladesh Home Ministry, media reports from Dhaka stated.
A visibly delighted Lucy after hearing the news extended an emotional gratitude to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for granting her citizenship, reports added.
Earlier on February 1, a letter from Bangladesh 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.
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As a follow-up, Lucy received her visa extension from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at a programme at Barisal Bangabandhu Uddyan on February 8.
It was in the year 1030 that Lucy Helen Francis Holt, born in St Helens, England landed in Bangladesh as one of the nuns at the Barisal Oxford Mission Church.
She was supposed to return after two years. But the beauty of Bangladesh held her back all these years.
Lucy was highly moved during the Bangladesh’s War of Independence in 1971 of which she was a mute spectator.
During that time, she had numerous communications with her people back in England to support the locals of the then East Pakistan against atrocities and oppression.
She had also treated wounded freedom fighters and people during that time serving at Fatema Hospital of Jessore and other places, according to church officials and locals.