Yunus honours late Pope Francis at St Peter’s Basilica

The late pope, an admirer of Yunus’s work, has been laid in repose ahead of his funeral

Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus has paid tribute to the late Pope Francis at the Vatican's St Peter's Basilica.

The head of the interim government offered his respects on Friday where the pope's body was laid out for the public to pay respect a day before the funeral.

The funeral will be held at 9:30am on Saturday at St Peter’s Square, where Yunus will be present, the state-run news agency Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, or BSS, reports.

Francis, who died on Monday at the age of 88, was a great admirer of Yunus’s work and often praised his efforts.

On Friday, Yunus departed at 9:25am local time (12:25pm Bangladesh time) to pay homage to the late pontiff and arrived at the Vatican around noon.

At St Peter’s Square, Vicar General of the Vatican City Cardinal Mauro Gambetti formally welcomed the chief advisor and the Bangladeshi delegation.

Following the reception, Yunus paid his final respects to the pope inside the Basilica.

The funeral ceremony will be attended by global leaders including US President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron.

Pope Francis had visited Bangladesh in 2017. His passing has drawn condolences from interim government.

Yunus is expected to depart at 8am local time (12pm Bangladesh time) on Sunday and return to Dhaka early Monday.