Rajapaksa's 50yrs in Sri Lankan parliament, Hasina greets over phone

Sri Lankan president Mahinda RajapaksaAFP

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday extended warm greetings to Sri Lankan prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa for completing 5 decades as member of his country’s parliament. Speaking to Rajapaksa over telephone, Sheikh Hasina conveyed sincere greeting to him on behalf of the people of Bangladesh and wished him good health.

Foreign minister AK Abdul Momen informed Prothom Alo about the matter on Wednesday afternoon.

Prior to the phone call, Bangladesh’s high commissioner to Sri Lanka, Md Reaz Hamidullah, delivered a bouquet of flowers to the home of Mahinda Rajapaksa on behalf of prime minister Sheikh Hasina.

PM Hasina's bouquet for Rajapakse

Speaking to Prothom Alo, Reaz Hamidullah said a message of greetings was sent to the Sri Lankan prime minister from the prime minister of Bangladesh. In the message it was said that Mahinda Rajapaksa was not just a leader of Sri Lanka, but an important leader of the entire South Asia. Rajapaksa’s contribution towards the people of Sri Lanka was particularly noteworthy.

In 1970, Mahinda Rajapaksa was just 24 years old when he was elected as member of parliament from his father DA Rajapaksa’s constituency of Beliatta in Hambantota district. He was the youngest member of parliament in Sri Lanka’s history.

On this day (27 May) in 1970, Mahinda Rajapaksa first stepped into Sri Lanka’s parliament. Sri Lanka celebrates this day as a remarkable feat of the living iconic leader who has been a steadfast friend of Bangladesh.

In 1970, Mahinda Rajapaksa was just 24 years old when he was elected as member of parliament from his father DA Rajapaksa’s constituency of Beliatta in Hambantota district. He was the youngest member of parliament in Sri Lanka’s history.

After being elected president of Sri Lanka in 2005, he remained in power for a decade. Last year his younger brother Gotabaya Rajapakse was elected president and he was made prime minister.

Prior to that in 2004 when Chandrika Kumaratunga was president and in 2018 when Maithripala Sirisena was president, Mahinda Rajapaksa was prime minister for a brief stint.