Bangladesh a role model of interreligious harmony, Pope Francis says before leaving Dhaka

The head of the Roman Catholic Church Pope Francis has said Bangladesh is a role model of peaceful coexistence of people with different religious beliefs.

The pontiff praised Bangladesh in an address to priests at Mother Teresa Home for orphans in Dhaka's Tejgaon before leaving Bangladesh on Saturday, ending his three-day tour amid cheers from the people for uttering the word 'Rohingya' finally after visiting Myanmar.

After the Mother Teresa Home programme, he attended another event at Notre Dame College, where he addressed around 7,000 youths.

At the Mother Teresa Home, the pope described disunity between people as the shortcomings of the society.

"Bangladesh is a role model of interreligious harmony," he said.

He urged all to live life happily and away from criticism and backbiting.

"Defaming someone is also a form of terrorism. Both happen secretly," he said.

After the address, Pope Francis visited the Holy Rosary Church Graveyard next to the Mother Teresa Home.

Before his departure from Dhaka, Pope Francis addressed a group of student at Notre Dame College on Saturday. Photo: PID

Later in a speech to an audience of young students belonging to Catholics, Muslims and other religions, the pope spoke about welcoming and accepting those who "act and think differently than ourselves", according to Reuters.

"When a group of people, religion or a society make a 'little world', they lose the best that they have and plunge into a self-righteous mentality of 'I am good, and you are bad'," Francis said at the Notre Dame College, founded by Catholic priests.

He also asked his young listeners to "not to spend the whole day playing with your phone and ignoring the world around you!"

Pope Francis visits the Holy Rosary Church graveyard at Tejgaon in Dhaka on Saturday during his three-day visit to Bangladesh. Photo: PID

Before coming to Dhaka, the pope visited Myanmar, where he avoided using the term 'Rohingya', drawing criticism from global communities, amid the exodus of over 600,000 refugees who have fled atrocities by the Myanmar Army into Bangladesh.

But on Friday, in an emotional interreligious conference also attended by a group of Rohingya refugees, the pope used the term for the first time during his Asia trip.

The Bangladesh government is considering the matter as an 'achievement'.

The government is trying to send back the refugees to Myanmar, with which it recently signed a repatriation 'arrangement'.