Sri Lanka Muslim Congress vice president and Member of Parliament Dr M. L. A. M. Hizbullah has alleged that attempts are being made to obstruct investigations into the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks and called for all those responsible to be prosecuted, regardless of their status or influence.
Addressing a public event on Thursday, Hizbullah said the attacks had devastated the island, with the Christian community suffering the greatest losses through deaths, injuries and the destruction of property. He also said the Muslim community faced severe consequences in the aftermath of the bombings, particularly in Kattankudy.
Hizbullah said Muslims endured hardship, financial losses, business closures and baseless accusations after the attacks, and argued that the community deserved an official vindication that it had no connection to the violence.
The SLMC vice president said investigations into the Easter Sunday attacks are currently being carried out under the government of Sri Lankan president Anura Kumara Dissanayake, but alleged that certain individuals were attempting to hinder the process.
He urged the authorities to identify and prosecute all those responsible for the attacks, irrespective of their rank, position or economic influence. Hizbullah also expressed the Muslim community’s willingness to fully cooperate with the ongoing investigations.
He called on the Sri Lankan government to ensure justice for the victims and take all necessary steps to bring those responsible before the law.
The Easter Sunday attacks on 21 April 2019 killed more than 260 people in coordinated bombings targeting churches and hotels across the island.
The attacks have remained one of Sri Lanka’s most politically sensitive investigations, with victims’ families, the Catholic Church and rights advocates repeatedly demanding answers over intelligence failures, alleged obstruction and the possibility of a wider conspiracy.
The renewed probe has intensified since the arrest of former State Intelligence Service Director Major General (Retired) Suresh Sallay earlier this year. Sallay was arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department on 25 February in connection with investigations into the Easter Sunday bombings.
Prosecutors have previously alleged in court that Sallay was the mastermind behind the attacks, an allegation he denies.
The arrest followed renewed attention on allegations made in a Channel 4 documentary, which linked senior Sri Lankan officials and military intelligence figures to the attacks.
Sallay has consistently denied involvement.
The investigation has also placed renewed pressure on former Sri Lankan president and accused war criminal Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Rajapaksa has previously been accused of blocking investigations into the Easter Sunday bombings after coming to power in 2019. He later filed a petition seeking to prevent his arrest under the Prevention of Terrorism Act in connection with the widened investigation.