Bangladesh’s Muhammad Yunus pays tribute to Manmohan Singh: He was simple, wise​on December 31, 2024 at 11:45 am

Bangladesh’s interim leader Muhammad Yunus paid tribute to former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who died last week, at the Indian High Commission in Dhaka on Tuesday. Singh, India’s first Sikh Prime Minister, died on December 26 at 92, following a prolonged illness.

“How simple he was! How wise he was!” Yunus said, recalling his friendship with Singh. He also said that Singh played a big role in turning India into a global giant.

Yunus was received by Indian High Commissioner Pranay Kumar Verma at the High Commission in Baridhara at 11.30 am on Tuesday. He laid a floral wreath before Singh’s portrait and wrote a message in the condolence book at the High Commission.

Singh was admitted to All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Delhi on December 26 after a “sudden loss of consciousness”, the hospital said in a statement.

The Centre declared a seven-day national mourning period until January 1, during which the national flag will be flown at half-mast across the country. The national flag will also be flown at half-mast at all Indian missions and high commissions.

Singh served two consecutive terms as Prime Minister, from 2004 to 2014. He was the architect of India’s economic liberalisation in 1991 as finance minister in the then Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao’s government.