Sri Lankan opposition leader Wickramasekara assassinated in office, hunt on for gunman

Amid a surge in violent crime, political unrest gripped Sri Lanka on October 22 after opposition politician Lasantha Wickramasekara was shot dead inside his office — marking the first political assassination since President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s government took office, according to reports.

Wickramasekara, 38, who served as the council chairman of Weligama city, was meeting constituents when an unidentified gunman reportedly barged in and opened fire with a revolver, killing him instantly.

Police confirmed that no one else was injured in the incident, and the assailant managed to escape. “An investigation is underway to track down the killer,” officials said, adding that the motive remains unclear.

Who was Lasantha Wickramasekara?

A member of the opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) party, Wickramasekara had been embroiled in a fierce political struggle with the ruling party over control of the Weligama municipal council — a rivalry that investigators say could be linked to the attack.

The assassination has sparked outrage across Sri Lanka, where violent crime and contract killings have been on the rise this year, much of it tied to organised crime and drug trafficking.

According to official data, over 100 shooting incidents have been reported in 2025, leaving at least 50 people dead. The killing of Wickramasekara has now intensified public concern and raised serious questions about the government’s ability to deliver on its promise of restoring law and order.