Bandula Jayasekara

Bandula Jayasekara
බන්දුල ජයසේකර
Born1960 or 1961
Died (aged 60)
Karapitiya Teaching Hospital, Galle
NationalitySri Lankan
EducationTrinity College, Kandy
Occupation(s)journalist, broadcaster, newspaper editor, diplomat

Bandula Jayasekara also known as Bandula Jayasekera (Sinhala: බන්දුල ජයසේකර; 1960/1 – 5 March 2021) was a Sri Lankan journalist, broadcaster, newspaper editor and diplomat.[1]

Career

Bandula initially pursued his career in journalism and served as chief editor (former editor-in-chief) of the Daily News from 2006 to 2007.[2] He also served as a columnist for Daily Mirror for a brief time period.[3] He had worked in both electronic and print media networks during his career as a journalist before switching to his career as a diplomat.

He also became a strong admirer of the Presidency of Mahinda Rajapaksa and his administration especially during the final stages of the Sri Lankan Civil War.[2] He served as director general, President's Office Media Unit, director general and spokesperson for Ministry of External Affairs during the presidency of Mahinda Rajapaksa.[4] Bandula Jayasekara also served as a diplomat in Canada and Australia especially as Consul General in Toronto and Sydney respectively.[5] In addition, he also served as Sri Lanka's Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York, where he was accused of sexual harassment of a fellow diplomat in the Sri Lankan mission.[6]

He then also worked as a host of Pathikada programme which was aired on Sirasa TV News First.[7][1]

Death

In July 2019, he was diagnosed with myelodyplastic syndrome blood cancer.[8] In October 2019, he had issued a public appeal for financial assistance in order to undergo a bone marrow transplant surgery in Singapore.[9][10] However, the transplant surgery was delayed for months due to the COVID-19 pandemic and he had to undergo treatment in Sri Lanka due to travelling issues as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.[11]

He died on 5 March 2021 at the age of 60 at the Karapitiya Teaching Hospital in Galle.[12] Prior to his death, he underwent treatment in palliative care at the hospital.[4]

References

  1. ^ a b "Bandula Jayasekera is no more". island.lk. Retrieved 2021-03-06.
  2. ^ a b "Former Editor-in-Chief of 'Daily News', Senior Journalist, Diplomat Bandula Jayasekera passes away". Daily News. Retrieved 2021-03-06.
  3. ^ "Senior Journalist Bandula Jayasekera passes away". www.dailymirror.lk. Retrieved 2021-03-06.
  4. ^ a b "Sri Lanka : Former Editor-in-Chief, diplomat Bandula Jayasekara passes away". www.colombopage.com. Retrieved 2021-03-06.
  5. ^ "Bandula Jayasekara Thinks We Know Little Beyond What He Writes". Colombo Telegraph. 2012-12-27. Retrieved 2021-03-06.
  6. ^ "INTERNATIONAL: Where's the Justice? Sexual Harassment Continues at the United Nations". 3 February 2015.
  7. ^ "Senior Journalist and Former Sri Lankan Diplomat Bandula Jayasekera no more". Sri Lanka News - Newsfirst. 2021-03-05. Retrieved 2021-03-06.
  8. ^ admin (2021-03-05). "Journalist and former diplomat Bandula Jayasekera passed away | Colombo Gazette". Retrieved 2021-03-06.
  9. ^ "Veteran Journalist Bandula Jayasekara appeals for help". Sunday Observer. 2019-10-13. Archived from the original on October 13, 2019. Retrieved 2021-03-06.
  10. ^ "Offer a lifeline to Bandula Jayasekara". www.dailymirror.lk. Retrieved 2021-03-06.
  11. ^ "Senior journalist Bandula Jayasekara appeals for help | Daily FT". www.ft.lk. Retrieved 2021-03-06.
  12. ^ "Senior journalist Bandula Jayasekara passes away". Sunday Observer. 2021-03-05. Archived from the original on March 5, 2021. Retrieved 2021-03-06.