Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus arrived in Rome, Italy on Friday to attend the funeral of Pope Francis and pay his last tribute to the Pope.

Chief Adviser's Deputy Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad Majumder confirmed Prof Yunus' arrival in Rome.

An hour after his arrival in Rome from Doha, Qatar, the Chief Adviser visited St. Peter Square on Friday afternoon to pay homage to the mortal remains of Pope Francis.

Heads of state and royals started converging on Rome on Friday for the funeral of Pope Francis in the Vatican’s St. Peter’s Square.

US President Donald Trump and Argentine President Javier Milei are among the leaders arriving Friday, the last day Argentine pope will lie in state in St. Peter’s Basilica before his coffin is sealed in the evening in preparation for his funeral Saturday, reports AP.

The Vatican said 130 delegations are confirmed, including 50 heads of state and 10 reigning sovereigns.

His presence represents a significant tribute to the memory of the Pontiff, with whom he had established a deep and genuine bond, founded on shared values and a common vision for humanity.

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The Chief Adviser was received by the Ambassador of Bangladesh to Italy and the Ambassador of Bangladesh to Vatican City.

Earlier, the Chief of Protocol of the State of Qatar, Ibrahim bin Yousif Abdullah Fakhroo, saw off Prof Yunus at Hamad International Airport in Doha as he departed for the Vatican around 12:25pm (Bangladesh Time).

His Most Reverend Eminence Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, Vicar General of His Holiness for Vatican City, will offer an official greeting to the chief adviser and the Bangladesh delegation at St. Peter Square.

On Saturday, at around 9:30 am, Prof Yunus will again visit St. Peter Square to attend the Funeral Mass of His Holiness Pope Francis, Azad said.

He will depart the Leonardo da Vinci Rome Fiumicino Airport around 8:00 am (12:00pm Bangladesh Standard Time) on Sunday and is expected to reach home in the early hours on Monday.

Late Pope Francis was the big admirer of the Prof Yunus’ work for the marginalised people across the globe and his vision for a three zero work where there will be no unemployment, no poverty and zero carbon emission.

The Vatican also launched a joint Three Zero Initiative in Rome with the 2006 Nobel Peace Laureate.