On 21 April 2019, coordinated suicide bombings targeted churches and luxury hotels across Sri Lanka, killing at least 260 people and injuring over 500. The attacks, carried out by the National Thowheeth Jama’ath (NTJ), an extremist group reportedly linked to Islamic State, sent shockwaves through the country. In their aftermath, the government faced intense scrutiny—not only for failing to act on prior intelligence warnings but also for the hostile, discriminatory climate that followed. Allegations later emerged – including new reports as we reach the sixth anniversary – linking members of the Rajapaksa family to the NTJ, raising troubling questions about state complicity and Sri Lanka’s legacy of political violence and impunity.

The Social Impacts: All Communities Affected

Nine suicide bombers struck six locations on Easter Sunday: churches in Colombo  (Kochchikade), Negombo and Batticaloa and three luxury hotels—the Shangri-La, Kingsbury and Cinnamon Grand. Subsequent explosions followed in Dehiwala and Dematagoda, with another occurring near a church in Colombo. The Christian community, gathered to celebrate one of their most sacred days, was left devastated. 

For the survivors and families of those killed, the aftermath has been defined by grief, trauma and economic hardship. Many victims suffered life-altering injuries and families lost multiple loved ones in a single moment, leaving children orphaned and households without a breadwinner. Among the victims were not only Sri Lankan citizens but also foreign nationals from the UK, India, China, the Netherlands, Denmark, and the US, amplifying the tragedy on a global scale.

In response, the Sri Lankan government declared a four-month state of emergency, granting the military sweeping powers to search, detain and arrest individuals under the notorious Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA). Security forces detained more than 2,000 Muslims, many without charge or credible evidence. Possession of Islamic literature, certain clothing, or tenuous associations were enough to warrant arrest. Several individuals remained in  detention for years, highlighting the sweeping and unjust nature of  Sri Lanka’s counterterrorism framework.

In the weeks that followed, anti-Muslim violence escalated. Mobs attacked Muslim-owned businesses and mosques and hate speech flourished online. Calls to boycott Muslim shops and services contributed to a dangerous climate  of fear and suspicion.

During this period, President Sirisena’s administration banned the niqab, citing national security. Although the ban was lifted in August 2019, other discriminatory policies followed—  such as dress-code regulations affecting Muslim women teachers, particularly in the Eastern Province. These were eventually revoked after strong opposition and intervention by Sri Lanka’s Human Rights Commission.

Gotabaya Rajapaksa then launched his presidential campaign, pledging to eradicate what he described as emerging threats of religious extremism. His effort to capitalise on public fear proved effective, securing overwhelming support from Sinhala voters, including many Catholics who had not previously aligned with him. Once in power, his administration escalated surveillance and repression of Muslims, often under the guise of national security or even pandemic response. COVID-19 restrictions were weaponised, disproportionately affecting Muslim communities through arbitrary lockdowns and inflammatory media coverage. One of the most painful and divisive policies came on 1 April 2020, when the government banned burials of those suspected to have died from COVID-19. Despite medical advice and widespread opposition, the policy remained in place for months, directly infringing on Muslim religious burial rites.

Now 6 years later, Muslim communities continue to face discrimination. In early 2024, the Department of Examination  withheld A-Level exam results from 70 Muslim women and girls in Trincomalee  for wearing white shawls that allegedly violated dress codes. Though examiners had permitted them to sit the exams, the government later classified their attire as hijabs, threatening their access to higher  education. 

Sri Lanka’s Tamil Hindu communities, particularly in the North and East, have also felt the aftershocks of the Easter bombings. Though not directly targeted by the bombings, they have seen heightened militarisation and surveillance under the PTA, mirroring the repression experienced during and long after the end of the civil war. Six years after the Easter bombings, all communities across Sri Lanka continue to live with the consequences.

The Politics: Who was to Blame and Where is the Accountability?

For years, repeated calls for an independent, international inquiry have gone unanswered and questions persist over the failure to act on intelligence provided by Indian authorities about an imminent attack. Domestic inquiries have been criticised as politicised, with the apparent aim of perpetuating fears of Muslims as a source of insecurity. The new government has now pledged a full reinvestigation of the Easter attacks, perhaps offering renewed hope for justice. Early steps include reinstating key officials like Senior DIG (Retd.) Ravi Seneviratne and SSP Shani Abeysekara, and successfully questioning an intelligence officer known as ‘Sonic Sonic,’ linked to the suicide bombers. However, years of political obstruction and corruption have deeply eroded public trust. 

In 2023, the Sri Lankan Supreme Court issued a landmark ruling, ordering former President Maithripala Sirisena to pay 100 million rupees (£220,000) in compensation to victims of the Easter Sunday bombings—the first time a court officially recognised the government’s role in failing to prevent the attacks. The ruling also held other senior officials accountable, including former police chief Pujith Jayasundara, former intelligence chief Nilantha Jayawardene, and former defence minister Sirisena, who were all directed to pay millions of rupees.The case was filed by victims’ families, the Catholic clergy, and the Bar Association of Sri Lanka.

Around this time, a Channel 4 Dispatches programme aired a documentary, Sri Lanka’s Easter Bombings, presented explosive allegations that high-ranking government officials may have been involved in orchestrating the attacks for political gain. Hanzeer Azad Maulana, a longtime insider within the Rajapaksa inner circle, alleged that he brokered a 2018 meeting between NTJ members and military intelligence chief Suresh Sallay. According to Maulana, Sallay told him that national insecurity was necessary to bring the Rajapaksa family back to power. These claims imply either complicity or wilful negligence at the highest levels of government. 

The documentary revealed that police attempts to arrest NTJ members before the attacks were diverted by misleading intelligence. Testimony and documentation pointed to state interference in investigations. 

Although Sallay denied the allegations, newly elected President Anura Kumara Dissanayake dismissed him in October 2024. Visiting one of the affected churches, Dissanayake acknowledged the widespread belief that the attacks were politically motivated and pledged a full investigation. 

In mid-April 2025, serious new allegations have emerged that support the 2023 documentary. Lanka e News reports suggest a high-level conspiracy implicating former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, including a 65 million LKR payment and claims of military intelligence involvement. Questions are also raised in this article about international terrorism expert Rohan Gunaratna’s role in shaping the ISIS narrative and a meeting between bombing mastermind Zahedan Hashim and a Sri Lankan diplomat in Malaysia.

A Sri Lanka Brief article further alleges the arrest of an intelligence officer under Nilantha Jayawardena, accused of planting false evidence to implicate ex-LTTE members. Meanwhile, the arrest of ex-State Minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan (Pillayan) on the 8 April 2025 (though unconfirmed if this was related to the Easter attacks) highlights the deep-seated culture of impunity surrounding past violence.

Furthermore, in a recent interview with Al Jazeera Head to Head, former President (and Prime Minister at the time of the Easter bombings) Ranil Wickremesinghe dismissed renewed accusations that his administration had shielded those responsible. When pressed on claims by the Catholic Church that his government failed to ensure a credible investigation, he dismissed them as “all nonsense” and accused the Church of playing politics. Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, who has consistently pushed for an independent inquiry, called the government’s earlier investigation “not worth the paper it was written on.” 

Questions remain about the extent of state complicity and many fear that justice will again be deferred. The allegations raised by Dispatches and recent articles—including the potential use of terror to manipulate elections—underscore the urgent need for an independent and transparent inquiry into the attacks and other grave human rights violations. Until then, accountability remains elusive and Sri Lanka’s long history of political violence continues to cast a shadow over its future.

Calls to Action:

Six years on, the pursuit of justice remains painfully incomplete. The removal of a senior intelligence official was a step in the right direction, but on its own, it is not enough. The deeper issues exposed by the Easter Sunday bombings—the erosion of public trust, unchecked state power and the marginalisation of entire communities—require more than symbolic gestures.

To move forward, Sri Lanka must confront these hard truths with courage and purpose:

1. Launch an independent investigation with international oversight
   The truth must come to light—not through politicised commissions, but through a credible, transparent inquiry into the Easter bombings with the involvement of international experts. There must also be independent and transparent investigations into other grave human rights violations, including enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and state complicity in violence. The Easter bombings are not an isolated case.
2. Reform counter-terrorism laws
   The Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) has long been used to target marginalised groups under the guise of national security. Legal reform is essential to prevent arbitrary detention and ensure protections for all citizens.
3. End institutional discrimination
   Whether through dress codes, burial restrictions, or barriers to education, discrimination continues to undermine the rights of Muslim or any other community. These policies must be dismantled and equal dignity upheld.
4. Ensure protection of religious freedom
   No community should have to fear practising their faith. The right to religious expression—including burial rites and cultural dress—must be protected in line with international human rights norms.
5. Support survivors and families of victims
   Justice is not only about prosecutions. Those who lived through the attacks and those who lost loved ones deserve ongoing psychological, legal and financial support to rebuild their lives.
6. Include victim-survivors in the path to justice
   Survivors and affected families should have a central role in any future investigations or truth-seeking efforts. Their voices and experiences must guide the process.
7. Strengthen transparency and accountability in the security sector
   Security forces and intelligence services must be subject to clear oversight. The use of state power must be scrutinised to prevent abuse and to ensure public safety does not come at the cost of human rights.
8. Prevent political interference in justice mechanisms
   An independent judiciary and investigative process are essential for justice. Political agendas must be kept out of accountability efforts if they are to have real impact.
9. Support interfaith and intercommunal dialogue
   Healing cannot happen without understanding. National and grassroots efforts to bring communities together should be supported as part of long-term reconciliation.
10. Encourage international engagement and oversight
    The international community should remain engaged, offering technical support, monitoring developments and continuing to advocate for justice, truth and accountability. With citizens from multiple countries among the victims, there is a global responsibility to ensure that justice is served. Governments whose nationals were killed or injured must press for transparency in investigations and demand accountability from Sri Lanka’s authorities. International human rights organisations and legal bodies should continue to monitor developments, ensuring that this atrocity is neither forgotten nor politically manipulated.

The Easter bombings exposed systemic flaws in Sri Lanka’s governance and security. Until real accountability is achieved, the possibility of history repeating itself remains. Six years on, the truth must not be buried and justice must not be delayed.