The Hon. Mujibur Rahuman

¶ 01 Hon. Deputy Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to speak during this adjournment debate as we near seven years since the Easter Sunday bombings that killed 270 and caused immense property damage.

¶ 02 Post-attack, many narratives emerged about Zahran’s group, and the Muslim community bore a deep stigma. Numerous investigations revealed facts, and there is a serious debate as to whether a group stood behind Zahran, aiding him. The Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) unearthed many matters. Then Secretary to the Ministry of Public Security DIG Ravi Seneviratne told the PCoI there was someone above Zahran, even writing a name on a piece of paper. We do not know whose name.

¶ 03 Then Attorney General Dappula de Livera called it a “conspiratorial attack,” after which attempts were made to arrest him; he obtained a writ at the Court of Appeal.

¶ 04 Zahran’s wife, Hadiya, testified that Zahran often spoke with a person in India. SIS Director Nilantha Jayawardena told the PCoI that Zahran was pushed to accelerate the attack by one “Abu …” in India. These indicate that, as widely accepted, there could have been handlers above Zahran.

¶ 05 In the 2019 presidential campaign, Gotabaya Rajapaksa pledged to catch the mastermind and rode to power on that promise. His government then named various people—including Rishad Bathiudeen and Attorney Hejaaz Hizbullah—and arrested them. Ultimately, cases against Rishad and Riyaj Bathiudeen were withdrawn by the Attorney General for lack of evidence; only Hejaaz’s case remains, and even that is weak.

¶ 06 Those who then claimed a mastermind now say there is none and want the matter closed with Zahran. When I oppose that, I am labeled a terrorist because I am Muslim. Many across parties said there was a group behind Zahran. We, as victims of suspicion and surveillance for years, still demand full investigation—whoever they are, Sinhala, Muslim, Tamil. Do not silence us with threats and slurs online. Under both Gotabaya and Ranil as Presidents, Suresh Sallay led intelligence; had we any involvement, we would have been arrested. We had none.

¶ 07 A critical case: Abu Bakkar of Kattankudy was arrested on 13.07.2020 for allegedly taking “Sara Jasmine” away. He was kept in custody for three years and then acquitted by the Batticaloa courts as the charge was false. He lost his job and remains unemployed two years after acquittal. The officer who made the false allegation is now in the USA with a Green Card. Bring him back and ask who directed him to frame Abu Bakkar. I urge the Minister Ananda Wijepala to reinstate Abu Bakkar with arrears.

¶ 08 On “Sara Jasmine”: some now claim she died; the Minister has said the investigations indicate otherwise. ASP Herath, who was in charge at Saindamarudu on 26 April 2019, recently gave a newspaper interview saying she did not die; he recounted that the military blocked access, there was a large explosion, a three-wheeler was shot at for not stopping, and a motorbike sped away. He also said that on 20 April, when Zahran’s group’s safehouse was reached in Saindamarudu, the then Eastern Province Governor/Command had been present nearby—now your State Minister of Defence. If Maj. Gen. Aruna Jayasekera was there, he would know who took Sara away on that motorbike. This must be clarified. If the State is to investigate the State, he should step down to ensure fairness. Thank you.