Pope Francis arrives in Dhaka, accorded rousing reception

Pope Francis, the leader of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics, arrived here on Thursday on a three-day state visit for promoting peace.

President Abdul Hamid received  the Pope at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka around 3pm.

The highest Catholic priest came here at the invitation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Catholic Bishop's Conference of Bangladesh.

He was given a 21-gun salute and highest state honour.

From the airport, the highest Catholic priest will visit the National Mausoleum in Savar to pay his rich tribute to the memories of the 1971 martyrs.

BSS adds : Pope Francis is the second Pope visiting Bangladesh. About 31 years ago, on November 19, 1986, His Holiness Pope John Paul II officially visited Bangladesh.

After that Pope Francis will pay his respect to the memories of Farther of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman by placing wreaths at his portrait at the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at 32 Dhanmondi.

On the same day in the evening, the Pope will meet with President M Abdul Hamid at Bangabhaban.

Later, Pope Fancies will join a gathering with Speaker, Chief Justice, ministers, political leaders, members of civil society and diplomats at Bangabhaban Darbar hall.

On December 1, more than 80,000 Catholic from Bangladesh Christian community will join a mass prayer with Pope Francis at Suhrawardy Udyan for world "Harmony and Peace".

In the afternoon, Pope Francis will visit the Vatican Embassy (Apostolic Nunciature) in Dhaka at Baridhara where he will meet with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Later in the day, Pope will hold a meeting with Bishops of Bangladesh in the garden of Arch Bishop's house in the city.

On December 2, Pope will visit Tejgaon Mother Theresa House and meet with priests, religious and consecrated men and women, seminarians and novices in the church of the Holy Rosary in Tejgaon.

He will deliver a speech before the youths in Notre Dame College in the capital at 3.20 pm. The Pope will leave Dhaka at 5 pm after receiving an official farewell at HSIA.

As his visit was fixed much earlier than the ongoing Rohingya crisis, the Catholic Bishop's Conference of Bangladesh couldn't do any arrangement for his holiness to visit Cox's Bazaar to see the Rohinyas camps there.

However, the Cardinal D'Rozario said they are trying to bring a small group of Rohingya in Dhaka from Cox's Bazar camp, so that Pope can hear this displaced Muslim minority of Myanmar.

The cardinal hoped that the back to back visits of Pope Francis in Myanmar and Bangladesh will make a great impact on solving the Rohingya crisis as he met with Ann San Suu Kyi and Myanmar Military General as well as is set to meet with President and Prime Minister of Bangladesh. 

LY