Special importance has been attached to strengthening bilateral relations between Bangladesh and Vatican City (the Holy See).
On 21 May, during a solemn ceremony at the Apostolic Palace in Vatican City, Ambassador Nahida Sobhan—Bangladesh’s envoy to the United Nations Permanent Mission in Geneva and to Vatican City—presented her credentials to Pope Leo XIV.
The ceremony and accompanying meetings highlighted the commitment to deepen ties, reads a press release.
The Holy See organized the credential presentation with full state and diplomatic protocol. Following the formal submission, Pope Leo XIV exchanged greetings with the Bangladeshi ambassador and her delegation.
At this time, the visits of Pope Francis in 2017 and Pope John Paul II in 1986 to Bangladesh were recalled, both described as significant milestones in bilateral relations.
According to reports from Dhaka, prior to the credential ceremony Ambassador Nahida Sobhan held meetings with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State; Archbishop Paolo Rudelli, Substitute of the Secretariat of State; Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations; and Javier Fernández, Chief of Protocol of the Holy See.
In these meetings, the ambassador underscored Bangladesh’s strong emphasis on its bilateral relationship with the Holy See.
She highlighted Bangladesh’s unwavering commitment to fostering communal harmony and peaceful coexistence among people of all faiths and communities.
She praised the Holy See’s continued support for global peace, climate change mitigation, and humanitarian initiatives—particularly its solidarity with displaced Rohingya refugees—and urged the continuation of efforts to ensure peace, justice, and humane treatment of migrants and vulnerable populations worldwide.
The presentation of credentials by Bangladesh’s ambassador to Pope Leo XIV under the framework of diplomatic protocol is being regarded as a notable event in the spheres of geopolitics and diplomacy.
