Veteran journalist Bandula Jayasekara passes away

Senior journalist and former diplomat Bandula Jayasekara passed away today at the Karapitiya Teaching Hospital. He was 60 years of age at the time of his death.

Mr Jayasekara was suffering from Myelodyplastic Syndrome - a type of blood cancer, for about two years and was undergoing treatment at the palliative care unit of the Karapitiya Teaching Hospital. 

Mr Jayasekara was a former Editor-in-Chief of the Daily News and was a consultant for Sirasa News First. 

He served as Sri Lanka's Consul General in Toronto and also served as a diplomat in Australia and the US. Mr Jayasekara also served as Sri Lanka's Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York. 

He was a former Director General of President's Media during the tenure of President Mahinda Rajapaksa in 2011 and a Director of the Public Communications Division of the Foreign Ministry. 

His remains are currently lying at the AF Raymond Funeral Parlour in Borella and last rites are to be held at 3.00pm tomorrow (6) at the crematorium of the General Cemetery, Borella.

By Sirangika Lokukaravita