Bangladesh mourns death of Pope Francis

Bangladesh is observing three days of mourning to commemorate the death of Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church and head of state of Vatican City.

The national flag will be flown at half-mast at all government, semi-government and autonomous institutions, educational institutions, and all government and private buildings in Bangladesh and Bangladesh missions abroad from Thursday to Saturday as part of the observance.

In addition, special prayers will be organised for Pope Francis's soul.

The decision to observe three days of state mourning was announced in a notification by the Cabinet Department on Wednesday.

Pope Francis, the senior most religious leader of the Roman Catholic faith, died at the Vatican's Casa Santa Marta residence on Monday morning. He was 88 years old.

Francis had returned to the Vatican after recovering from pneumonia, for which he spent five weeks in hospital. On Sunday, he waved to an excited crowd from the balcony of St Peter's Basilica in a wheelchair and wished them a happy Easter. The news of his death came the next day.

Argentine priest Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected pope on Mar 13, 2013, taking the name Francis.

As the Bishop of Rome, he served as the head of the worldwide Catholic Church and the sovereign state of Vatican City.

He was the first Pope to hail from the Americas or the Southern Hemisphere. Throughout over a decade in office, he brough broad change to the Catholic Church. The cleric, who chose a simple life, was called a “friend of the poor”.

Pope Francis also visited Bangladesh in 2017. In addition to various events organised by Christians in churches in Kakrail and Tejgaon, he also attended an open worship at the Suhrawardy Udyan.

Expressing deep sorrow over his death, Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus said in a message on Monday, “With his passing, we witness the end of a papal era that was imbued with a deep commitment to human dignity, interfaith harmony, and justice for the marginalised.”

“His leadership transcended religious boundaries and inspired millions to work toward a more inclusive, tolerant, and compassionate world.”

Yunus said, “I feel honoured to have met Pope Francis on several occasions and to have worked closely with him in the struggle for peace, human dignity, and environmental protection.”

The Pope will lie in state in St Peter's Basilica for three days, with his funeral to be held on Saturday. During that time world leaders as well as people of all classes and professions will be able to pay their last respects.

Chief Advisor Yunus, who is on a visit to Qatar, will fly directly from Doha to Rome to attend the Pope's funeral.

The Chief Advisor's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam said, "Professor Yunus's personal relationship with Pope Francis was excellent. The chief advisor will attend the Pope's funeral to pay his last respects to his friend."