British-Bangladeshi Lucy Holt receives smart NID card, old-age allowance

British-Bangladeshi Lucy Helen Francis Holt, living in Bangladesh for 60 years, has been honoured in Barishal.

The district administration awarded the 90-year-old with a crest and handed over a smart national identification (NID) card and Tk 9,000 as old-age allowance.

The programme was held at the district circuit house around noon on International Women's Day yesterday, our local correspondent reports.

Barishal Deputy Commissioner Jashimuddin Haider assured her of any assistance needed from the local administration. Later, the administration handed over crests to four other women as awards.

Lucy became a Bangladesh citizen on February 12, 2018.

Born in St Helens, England on December 16, 1930, Lucy joined Barisal Oxford Mission Church in 1960.

Even though she was supposed to return home two years later, Sister Lucy Holt fell in love with Bangladesh's nature and its people. Since then, she has worked around the country.

A witness to Bangladesh's Liberation War in 1971, Lucy wrote to her relatives asking them to support the tortured people of then East Pakistan in their struggle, for liberation, against Pakistani forces.

Known in the mission and locality for her compassion and love for people, Sister Lucy Holt said she wished to be buried in Barishal after her passing.