Dhaka, Bangladesh, Nov 30, 2017 / 05:21 am
After landing in Bangladesh Thursday afternoon, Pope Francis made visits to two of the country's important landmarks – the National Martyr's Memorial in Savar and the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum.
Arriving at the airport around 3:00 pm local time, Pope Francis was greeted by the President of the Republic of Bangladesh, Abdul Hamid. Two children in traditional dress then brought flowers and a jar of earth to the Pope, who blessed them.
Also present at the airport were political and civil authorities, 10 Bangladeshi bishops, a group of faithful and 40 children, who performed traditional dances for Francis.
From there, he traveled to the National Martyr's Memorial in Savar, which is the national monument of Bangladesh. It stands in memory of all those who gave their lives in the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971, which brought independence and separated Bangladesh from Pakistan.