Pope Francis to arrive on Nov 30

Pope Francis will arrive in Dhaka on November 30 on a three-day visit to Bangladesh.

On Tuesday, the Vatican has formally released the schedule of Pope Francis' apostolic visit to Myanmar and Bangladesh.

He will be visiting Bangladesh at the invitations of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Catholic Archbishop of Dhaka Cardinal Patrick D'Rozario.

Two invitations, including one from the host government, are needed for the Pope to visit a country.

The Pope will be in Myanmar from November 27-30 and Bangladesh from November 30 to December 2, said Archbishop George Kocherry, Vatican ambassador to Bangladesh, at a press conference at Ramna Cathedral in the capital on August 28.

The announcement came barely a day after the Pope voiced concern over the persecution of Rohingyas in Myanmar.

President Abdul Hamid will receive Pope Francis upon his arrival, and Bangladesh will show the highest respect to him during the visit.

Pope Francis is scheduled to reach Yangon, Myanmar, in the afternoon of November 27. He will wrap up his Myanmar tour on November 30 and fly to Bangladesh in the afternoon.

After a welcome ceremony at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, Pope Francis will pay homage to Bangladesh's martyrs and Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

He will then make a courtesy visit to the president and address the diplomatic corps.

On December 1, the Pope will celebrate a public mass, meet Sheikh Hasina, the country's bishops and representatives of various religions and Christian churches.

On the last day, he will visit a home run by the Missionaries of Charity of Mother Teresa, address priests, religious seminarians and novices.

Before flying back to Rome in the evening, he will meet a group of young people.

Earlier in 1986, Pope John Paul II visited Bangladesh, according to the foreign ministry.