Bandula Jayasekara
Bandula Jayasekara | |
|---|---|
| බන්දුල ජයසේකර | |
| Born | 1960 or 1961 |
| Died | (aged 60) Karapitiya Teaching Hospital, Galle |
| Nationality | Sri Lankan |
| Education | Trinity 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
[edit]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
[edit]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
[edit]- ^ a b "Bandula Jayasekera is no more". island.lk. Retrieved 2021-03-06.
- ^ a b "Former Editor-in-Chief of 'Daily News', Senior Journalist, Diplomat Bandula Jayasekera passes away". Daily News. Retrieved 2021-03-06.
- ^ "Senior Journalist Bandula Jayasekera passes away". www.dailymirror.lk. Retrieved 2021-03-06.
- ^ a b "Sri Lanka : Former Editor-in-Chief, diplomat Bandula Jayasekara passes away". www.colombopage.com. Retrieved 2021-03-06.
- ^ "Bandula Jayasekara Thinks We Know Little Beyond What He Writes". Colombo Telegraph. 2012-12-27. Retrieved 2021-03-06.
- ^ "INTERNATIONAL: Where's the Justice? Sexual Harassment Continues at the United Nations". 3 February 2015.
- ^ "Senior Journalist and Former Sri Lankan Diplomat Bandula Jayasekera no more". Sri Lanka News - Newsfirst. 2021-03-05. Retrieved 2021-03-06.
- ^ admin (2021-03-05). "Journalist and former diplomat Bandula Jayasekera passed away | Colombo Gazette". Retrieved 2021-03-06.
- ^ "Veteran Journalist Bandula Jayasekara appeals for help". Sunday Observer. 2019-10-13. Archived from the original on October 13, 2019. Retrieved 2021-03-06.
- ^ "Offer a lifeline to Bandula Jayasekara". www.dailymirror.lk. Retrieved 2021-03-06.
- ^ "Senior journalist Bandula Jayasekara appeals for help | Daily FT". www.ft.lk. Retrieved 2021-03-06.
- ^ "Senior journalist Bandula Jayasekara passes away". Sunday Observer. 2021-03-05. Archived from the original on March 5, 2021. Retrieved 2021-03-06.