DE News Desk :
Bangladesh Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus left Rome for Dhaka this morning, after attending the funeral mass of Pope Francis at St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City.
Professor Yunus departed from Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino Airport around 8:00 am local time (12:00 noon Bangladesh Standard Time), Deputy Press Secretary to the Chief Adviser, Abul Kalam Azad Majumder.
He is expected to arrive in Dhaka in the early hours of Monday.
Following the conclusion of his four-day visit to Qatar on April 25, Professor Yunus traveled directly to Rome to pay his last respects to his long-time friend, Pope Francis.
On Saturday, he attended the solemn funeral service held at St. Peter’s Basilica, joining global leaders in honouring the late pontiff.
Before and after the mass, the Chief Adviser exchanged greetings with several prominent world figures, including UN Secretary-General António Guterres, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, former US President Joe Biden, and Finnish President Alexander Stubb.
He also met with the President of Kenya, the President of Montenegro, the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Luxembourg, the Presidents of Ecuador, East Timor, Iceland, and Portugal, as well as the King and Queen of Belgium, the Prime Minister of Belgium, Prince Albert of Monaco, the Prince and Princess of Norway, the Prime Minister of Tunisia, and the Prince and Princess of Liechtenstein.
Additionally, Professor Yunus interacted with the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), the President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the foreign ministers of Sri Lanka, Bahrain, and Syria, and a former US Secretary of State.
During his stay in Rome, Cardinal Silvano Maria Tomasi of the Holy Roman Church and Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad, Prefect of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue, called on the Chief Adviser at his hotel.
Uruguay’s Foreign Minister Mario Lubetkin also paid a courtesy visit.Professor Yunus’ visit to Vatican City underscored Bangladesh’s respect for Pope Francis and highlighted the Chief Adviser’s ongoing engagement in international diplomacy.