Exactly a year ago, on April 21st, 2019 a group of extremists bent on a macabre agenda unleashed a sequence of terror targeting Catholic churches and tourist hotels.

I deeply empathize with the families of all those who lost their lives and sustained grave injuries, the Catholic community and entire Sri Lankan citizenry who were terrorized by these horrifying massacres.

The Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) is aware that some Sri Lankans who have gone abroad, for short visits for leisure and holidays, meet relatives and friends, pilgrimage, business purposes, training, seminars and conferences, medical treatments, sports, recreational and cultural activities, etc., and on student or equivalent visas, are stranded abroad amidst the prevailing global pandemic situation and that their families in Sri Lanka are keen to send money to meet living expenses/up keep of such persons in overseas. In this regard, CBSL wishes to make the following clarifications.

On this day, Sri Lanka remembers all those lives lost and changed forever in barbaric acts of violence one year ago. We share the grief of families who lost their loved ones and stand in solidarity with those countries which lost their nationals.

In the Global Response to Infectious Diseases index, Sri Lanka and President Gotabaya Rajapaksa have been ranked ninth position. This is an index designed to rank the efficiency and effectiveness of the leadership of the country and the preparedness of its health system to combat COVID-19.