On 21st April 2019, coordinated suicide bombings by an extremist Islamic group struck three churches and three luxury hotels across Sri Lanka, killing at least 290 people and injuring hundreds more. Six years later, the central question remains not just who carried out the attacks, but how they were allowed to happen despite intelligence warnings.

Early Investigations

The attacks were preventable. As reports indicate, officials had credible intelligence, including actionable information from Indian agencies, regarding the imminent strikes. An official parliamentary report in October 2019 identified serious intelligence and coordination failures by Sri Lankan authorities.

The negligence in handling the bombings was thoroughly investigated. To begin the investigations, President Sirisena appointed a Presidential Committee headed by Supreme Court Judge Vijith Malalgoda on 22nd April 2019. This was followed by the establishment of the Parliamentary Select Committee, chaired by Deputy Speaker Ananda Kumarasiri, on 22nd May 2019. The final investigative body, the Presidential Commission of Inquiry, was appointed on 21st September 2019, a few months before the November 2019 election at which Gotabaya Rajapaksa was elected President.  The Presidential Commission recorded testimonies from 457 witnesses over 214 days, delivering its final report to the president in February 2021. The findings identified failures at the highest levels of government, naming specific officials responsible for the breakdowns.

The 2023 Supreme Court Ruling

In January 2023, the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka held former President Maithripala Sirisena and four other senior officials liable for failing to prevent the bombings. The court ruled that they had violated the fundamental rights of victims and the public by failing to act on available intelligence. This verdict was issued after 12 petitions were filed at the Bar Association of Sri Lanka, where families of the victims, Catholic priests, and several others were heard before a seven-member bench headed by Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya. 

The compensation ordered included Rs. 100 million from Sirisena, Rs. 75 million each from former Police Chief Pujith Jayasundara and former State Intelligence Chief Nilantha Jayawardena, Rs. 50 million from former Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando, Rs. 10 million from former National Intelligence Service Chief Sisira Mendis, and Rs. 1 million from the State to victims collectively. By August 2024, Sirisena had completed the payments. This marked the first judicial acknowledgement of government failures in the tragedy and established a precedent for state accountability in Sri Lanka. However, when considering the future steps that must be taken with this compensation, the necessity of establishing a Victim Fund at the Office for Reparation is noteworthy. This would assist in formulating a scheme to award the sums ordered as compensation fairly and equitably to victims and families. 

Ongoing Questions and Social Impact

A Channel 4 documentary aired in 2023 presented allegations of political complicity involving military intelligence and the Rajapaksa political family. These claims intensified existing questions about whether political interests played a role in allowing the attacks to occur.

Importantly, the social consequences extended beyond immediate casualties. Muslim communities faced increased discrimination and social ostracisation following the bombings. The economic impact was also significant—the attacks caused a sharp downturn in tourism and increased security spending, contributing to Sri Lanka’s broader economic crisis that began around 2019.

Current Status

At the sixth anniversary commemorations in April 2025, ceremonies were held at St. Anthony’s Shrine in Colombo and other affected sites. The Vatican named over 100 victims as “witnesses of faith.”

Despite the Supreme Court ruling, many survivors and civil society groups consider justice incomplete. Issues of political interference, intelligence reform, and institutional accountability remain largely unaddressed. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s administration has committed to renewed investigations, though previous pledges have bred scepticism.

The Catholic Church, particularly Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, continues advocating for accountability. Many recommendations from various investigations remain unimplemented, and survivors continue dealing with trauma and economic hardship.

Looking Forward

The Easter Sunday bombings exposed systemic failures in governance, intelligence coordination, and political accountability. While the Supreme Court ruling provided some measure of justice, broader questions about complicity and institutional reform remain unanswered.

The families of victims, survivors, and affected communities continue to seek comprehensive answers and meaningful reforms. Whether Sri Lanka can fully address these failures and implement necessary changes to prevent future incidents remains unknown.

 For those interested in exploring the case further, detailed reports and primary sources are linked below.