Sri Lankan protesters retreated from government buildings they seized and military troops reinforced security at the Parliament on Thursday, establishing a tenuous calm in a country in both economic meltdown and political limbo. Embattled President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled a day earlier under pressure from demonstrators furious over the island nation’s economic collapse. But he failed to resign as promised — and further angered the crowds by making his prime minister acting leader. Protesters want both men out and a unity government in to address an economic calamity that has triggered widespread shortages of food, fuel and other necessities. But with a fractured opposition and confusion over who was in charge, a solution seemed no closer following Rajapaksa’s departure. Potentially adding to the turmoil, the president was on the move again Thursday, flying from the Maldives to Singapore. The protesters accuse Rajapaksa and his powerful political family of siphoning money from government coffers for years and his administration of hastening the country’s collapse by mismanaging the economy. The family has denied the corruption allegations, but Rajapaksa acknowledged some of his policies contributed to the meltdown. Read: Sri Lankan armed forces empowered to use force following clashes Months of protests reached a frenzied peak over the weekend when demonstrators stormed the president’s home and office and the official residence of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. On Wednesday, they seized Wickremesinghe's office. Images of protesters inside the buildings — lounging on elegant sofas and beds, posing at officials' desks and touring the opulent settings — have captured the world's attention. They initially vowed to hold these places until a new government was in place, but the movement shifted tactics Thursday, apparently concerned that any escalation in violence could undermine their message following clashes the previous night outside the Parliament that left dozens injured. “The fear was that there could be a crack in the trust they held for the struggle,” said Nuzly, a protest leader who goes by only one name. “We’ve shown what power of the people can do, but it doesn’t mean we have to occupy these places.” Read: Sri Lankan President Rajapaksa arrives in Singapore Devinda Kodagode, another protest leader, told The Associated Press they planned to vacate official buildings after the Parliament speaker said he was exploring legal options for the country given that Rajapaksa left without submitting his resignation letter as promised. Protesters withdrew from the prime minister's residence and the president's, where some moved a red carpet they had rolled up back into place. Others held a news conference to announce they were also pulling out of the prime minister's office. Visaka Jayaweer, a performing artist, described the bittersweet moment of closing the gate to the presidential palace after the crowds cleared out. “Taking over his residence was a great moment, it showed just how much we wanted him to step down. But it is also a great relief" to leave, she said. "We were worried if people would act out – many were angry to see the luxury he had been living in when they were outside, struggling to buy milk for their children.” The country remains a powder keg, and the military warned Thursday it had powers to respond in case of chaos — a message some found concerning. Troops in green military uniforms and camouflage vests arrived in armored personnel carriers to reinforce barricades around the Parliament, while protesters vowed they would continue to rally outside the president’s office until a new government was in place. The government announced another curfew in the capital Colombo and its suburbs in the afternoon until 5 a.m. Friday. It's unclear what effect a curfew would have: Some ignored a previous one, but many others rarely leave their homes anyway because of fuel shortages. Rajapaksa and his wife fled Sri Lanka early Wednesday for the Maldives, slipping away in the night aboard an air force plane. On Thursday, he went to Singapore, according to the city-state’s Foreign Ministry. It said he had not requested asylum. Also read: Sri Lanka: Will the army be forced to act? Since Sri Lankan presidents are protected from arrest while in power it’s likely Rajapaksa wanted to plan his departure while he still had constitutional immunity and access to a military plane. The political impasse threatens to worsen the bankrupt nation’s economic collapse since the absence of an alternative government could delay a hoped-for bailout from the International Monetary Fund. In the meantime, the country is relying on aid from India and China. The shortages of basic necessities have sown despair among Sri Lanka’s 22 million people. The country’s rapid decline was all the more shocking because, before the recent crisis, the economy had been expanding, with a growing, comfortable middle class. It was not immediately clear if Singapore would be Rajapaksa's final destination, but he has previously sought medical care there, including undergoing heart surgery.   Assuming that Rajapaksa resigns as promised, Sri Lankan lawmakers have agreed to elect a new president from their ranks on July 20 who will serve the remainder of Rajapaksa’s term, which ends in 2024. That person could potentially appoint a new prime minister, who would then have to be approved by Parliament.

Sri Lanka's Speaker of Parliament Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena said on Wednesday that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has appointed Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to perform and discharge the powers and duties of the president. Read: India denies helping Prez Gotabaya flee Sri Lanka Rajapaksa has appointed Wickremesinghe in accordance with the constitution, as Rajapaksa was away from the country, the speaker said in a statement.

As Sri Lanka’s crisis reached its climax this weekend, two men in the center of the turmoil brought about by the country’s economic collapse promised they would heed the call of tens of thousands of angry protesters and resign. One is President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the last of six members of the country’s most influential family who was still clinging to power. The other is Rajapaksa’s chosen prime minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, a seasoned opposition politician who was brought in to steer the country out of the abyss. On Saturday, massive crowds descended on the capital, Colombo, broke into Rajapaksa’s official residence and occupied his seaside office. Hours later, as leaders of political parties in Parliament called for both leaders to step down, protesters also stormed Wickremesinghe’s residence and set it on fire. The culmination of monthslong protests on Saturday led to both of them agreeing to step down. Rajapaksa, whose whereabouts are unknown, said he would leave office on Wednesday, according to the parliamentary speaker. Wickremesinghe said he would depart as soon as opposition parties agree on a unity government. Here is a closer look at their rise and fall: GOTABAYA RAJAPAKSA For decades, the powerful land-owning Rajapaksa family had dominated local politics in their rural southern district before Mahinda Rajapaksa was elected president in 2005. Appealing to the nationalist sentiment of the island’s Buddhist-Sinhalese majority, he led Sri Lanka into a triumphant victory over ethnic Tamil rebels in 2009, ending a 26-year brutal civil war that had divided the country. His younger brother, Gotabaya, was a powerful official and military strategist in the Ministry of Defense. Mahinda remained in office until 2015, when he lost to the opposition led by his former aide. But the family made a comeback in 2019, when Gotabaya won the presidential election on a promise to restore security in the wake of the Easter Sunday terrorist suicide bombings that killed 290 people. He vowed to bring back the muscular nationalism that had made his family popular with the Buddhist majority, and to lead the country out of an economic slump with a message of stability and development. Read: Sri Lanka president, PM to resign after tumultuous protests Instead, he made a series of fatal mistakes that ushered in an unprecedented crisis. As tourism plunged in the wake of the bombings and foreign loans on controversial development projects — including a port and an airport in the president’s home region — needed to be repaid, Rajapaksa disobeyed economic advisers and pushed through with the largest tax cuts in the country’s history. It was meant to spur spending, but critics warned it would slash the government’s finances. Pandemic lockdowns and an ill-advised ban on chemical fertilizers further hurt the fragile economy. The country soon ran out of money and couldn’t repay its huge debts. Shortages of food, cooking gas, fuel and medicine stoked public anger at what many saw as mismanagement, corruption and nepotism. The family’s unravelling began in April, when growing protests forced three Rajapaksa relatives, including the finance minister, to quit their Cabinet posts and another to leave his ministerial job. In May, government supporters attacked protesters in a wave of violence that left nine dead. The anger of the protesters turned to Mahinda Rajapaksa, who was pressured to resign as prime minister and took refuge on a heavily fortified naval base. But Gotabaya refused to go, triggering chants in the streets of “Gota Go Home!” Instead, he saw his savior in Ranil Wickremesinghe. RANIL WICKREMESINGHE A six-time prime minister, Wickremesinghe’s latest stint was arguably the most challenging. Appointed in May by Rajapaksa, he was brought in to help restore international credibility as his government negotiated a bailout package with the International Monetary Fund. Wickremesinghe, who also was the finance minister, became the public face of the crisis, delivering weekly addresses in Parliament as he kicked off difficult negotiations with financial institutions, lenders and allies to fill the coffers and give some relief to impatient citizens. He raised taxes and pledged to overhaul a government that had increasingly concentrated power under the presidency, a model many say tipped the country into crisis. In his new job, he left little doubt about the grave future ahead. “The next couple of months will be the most difficult ones of our lives,” he told Sri Lankans in early June, a few weeks before he said in Parliament that the country had hit rock bottom. “Our economy has completely collapsed,” he said. Ultimately, observers say, he lacked both political heft and public support to get the job done. He was a one-man party in Parliament - the only lawmaker from his party to hold a seat after it suffered a humiliating defeat in a 2020 election. His reputation had already been sullied by his previous stint as prime minister, when he was in a difficult power-sharing arrangement with then-President Maithripala Sirisena. A communication breakdown between them was blamed for intelligence lapses that led to the 2019 terror attack. With no respite for people waiting in line for fuel, food and medicine, Wickremesinghe became increasingly unpopular. Many of the protesters say his appointment simply put off pressure on Rajapaksa to resign. But analysts are doubtful whether a new leader can do much more, instead fearing that the political uncertainty will only intensify the crisis.

Naveed Nawaz, the assistant coach of the Sri Lanka national cricket team, said the political dissonance in Sri Lanka at present won’t hurt the spirit of their team that is currently in Bangladesh to play a two-match Test series against the Tigers starting from May 15 in Chattogram.  The South Asian island nation has been reeling under economic crisis and political turmoil for months which eventually prompted the Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa to resign on Monday. “So far I don’t think it has affected us,” Naveed said to reporters on Monday in Dhaka. “Most of the cricketers are continuing to do their hard work. Their training has been ongoing for a couple of months. I didn’t see an instance which affected the players.” Sri Lanka held their first practice session on Monday at the academy ground in Mirpur. Sri Lanka is currently in a nationwide curfew which was imposed by the police after the opponents of Rajapaksa broke into the clashes across the nation, mostly in Colombo, the capital.  “You can’t see many positives at the moment. It will be very good for us to take some positives back home. We want to keep inspiring the young generation of the country,” Naveed added. READ: Naveed sees a bright future for Shoriful, Mahmudul The upcoming series is Sri Lanka’s first Bangladesh tour in four years. They last toured Bangladesh in 2018. But Bangladesh is a familiar destination for many Sri Lankan cricketers.  Sri Lankan cricketers Dhananjaya De Silva and Kusal Mendis took part in the recently concluded Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League which is a List-A domestic competition. Naveed believes the familiarity of Bangladesh might help Sri Lanka to do well in Bangladesh.  “We have both young and experienced players in our squad. Some of them played recently in Bangladesh. So we are waiting for a great series of cricket. I think it’s going to be a tough series for both teams,” Naveed added.  Sri Lanka will take part in a two-day practice match on May 10 and 11 in BKSP against the BCB XI.  The first Test of the series will be played in Chattogram from May 15 while the second and final Test of the series will take place in Dhaka from May 23. This series is a part of the ICC Test Championship. So far, Bangladesh won a match in this event. 

The Sri Lankan national cricket team arrived in Dhaka Sunday noon. The island nation will take part in a two-match Test series against hosts Bangladesh. The first Test of the series will be played in Chattogram from May 15 while the second and final Test of the series will take place in Dhaka from May 23.  This series is a part of the ICC Test Championship. Sri Lanka are currently at the fifth place in the points table of this contest while Bangladesh are at eighth. In the previous series against South Africa, Bangladesh lost both the matches.  READ: Sri Lanka cricket team arrives in Dhaka Sunday Sri Lanka have also endured the same fate against India earlier this year in India. Both Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have announced their respective squads for this series.  Bangladesh team is scheduled to leave Dhaka this evening for Chattogram. They will have a practice camp in the port city of Chattogram ahead of the first Test at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium.  While Bangladesh team will be busy practicing in Chattogram, Sri Lanka will play a two-day practice match on May 10 and 11 in BKSP. They will travel to Chattogram after the practice match. 

Sri Lanka’s president revoked a days-old state of emergency after huge public protests demanded he resign over the country’s worst economic crisis in memory. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has resisted the calls even after governing party lawmakers said an interim government should replace his and failing to do so would make them responsible for violence. The decree Rajapaksa issued Tuesday night said he revoked emergency orders that had given him sweeping authority to act in the interests of public security and preserving public order, including suspending any laws, authorizing detentions and seizing property. Read: Sri Lankan lawmakers seek interim government to solve crisis Rajapaksa had declared the emergency last week after crowds of protesters demonstrated near his home in the capital Colombo. The protests initially began over shortages of essentials such as cooking gas, petrol, electricity and milk powder. They have spread to every part of the Indian Ocean island nation and now the demonstrators are demanding the resignation of Rajapaksa and his government. TV and social media images from Monday showed protesters stormed into the offices and houses of ruling party lawmakers and vandalized some premises. On Tuesday, lawmakers at the first new Parliament session since the protests flared asked the speaker to ensure their safety. The president and his older brother, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, continue to hold power in Sri Lanka, despite their politically powerful family being the focus of public ire. The Cabinet resigned Sunday night, and Rajapaksa invited all parties to join a unity government, but the main opposition party rejected the proposal. On Tuesday, nearly 40 governing coalition lawmakers said they would no longer vote according to coalition instructions, significantly weakening the government. Sri Lanka has huge debts and dwindling foreign reserves, leaving it unable to pay for imported goods. Read: COVID outbreak 'extremely grim' as Shanghai extends lockdown For several months, Sri Lankans have endured long lines to buy fuel, foods and medicines, most of which comes from abroad and is paid for in hard currency. The fuel shortage, along with lower hydropower capacity in dry weather, has caused rolling power cuts lasting hours each day. Rajapaksa last month said his government was in talks with the International Monetary Fund and turned to China and India for loans while he appealed to people to limit the use of fuel and electricity.

Dhaka Chamber of Commerce & Industries president Rizwan Rahman believes the manufacturing and service sectors of Bangladesh have high potential for returns on foreign investment, and encouraged Sri Lankan entrepreneurs to invest their capital accordingly. The DCCI president made the call when high commissioner of Sri Lanka in Bangladesh, Prof. Sudharshan D.S. Seneviratne called on him on Tuesday. Rizwan said that bilateral trade between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka reached USD $ 165.04 million in FY 2020-21, where Bangladesh's export was US$ 47.32 million and import US$ 117.72 million. He said that Bangladesh mainly exports pharmaceuticals, RMG and seeds, on the other hand machinery, textiles, chemical, mineral products, base metal import form Sri Lanka. To utilize the untapped trade and investment potentials, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka can sign Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and collaboration in ICT, outsourcing, tourism and engineering solutions, he opined. Rizwan also said that Sri Lanka can be an attractive destination for Bangladeshi investors. Sri Lankan High Commissioner Prof. Sudharshan D.S. Seneviratne said that Bangladesh has huge potential in the growing 'blue economy' sector centring the Bay of Bengal. Moreover there are huge opportunities to work jointly for the win-win development in the blue economy sector. He said that signing of a preferential trade agreement (PTA) with Bangladesh is in progress, and hopes that the governments can sign it soon. READ: DCCI urges Rwanda to import more Bangladeshi products If the performance of PTA is good then initiative can be taken to sign a free trade agreement (FTA) in future, he added. He also expressed his hope to increase the bilateral trade volume to USD 1 billion in the next five years. The high commissioner also invited Bangladeshi investors to invest in the tourism, agriculture, shipping and logistic sector in Sri Lanka. Srimali Jayarathne, First Secretary (Commercial), High Commission of Sri Lanka in Bangladesh and DCCI Senior Vice President Arman Haque, among others, were present during the meeting.

Touring Bangladesh’s Under-19 team suffered the second consecutive defeat in the five-match Youth ODI series losing to their Sri Lankan counterpart by narrow one run in the 2nd match at Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium in in the Island nation on Monday. Bangladesh, which made a frustrating start in Lankan tour losing the first match by 42 runs, will play the Island nation in the remaining matches on Oct 20, 23 and 25 at the same venue.  Winning the toss, the Sri Lankan Under-19 side batted first and scored moderate 228 runs for 8 in stipulated 50 overs, featuring two half centuries by opener Sadeesh Jayawardena and Pawan Pathiraja. READ: Bangladesh to take on Oman in crucial clash Tuesday   After the departure of opener Jeewaka Shashen (3) for 11 runs in three overs, another opener Sadeesh Jayawardena pairing with one down Shevon Daniel contributed  66 runs in the 2nd wicket stand.  Sadeesh Jayawardena scored the team highest 58 runs off 94 deliveries featuring four fours, number four Pawan Pathiraja contributed 51 runs off 68 balls, hitting four boundaries while Shevon Daniel made 34 runs in 58 balls with two fours and one six.    Ripon Mondal grabbed three wickets for 49 runs while Ashukur Rahman bagged two for 54 runs. In reply, Bangladesh youth team were dismissed for 227 in 49.3 overs, despite they needs only two runs in the three balls with one wicket in hand. But, the successful bowler of Bangladesh and tail-ender batter Ripon Mondal fell victim to run-out by Pathiraja in 49.3 overs to concede the 2nd defeat in a row. Replying to Lankan’s moderate total, Bangladesh made a good start scoring 57 runs in the first wicket stand in 10.4 overs. Opener Mahfujul Islam hammered the match highest 75 runs off 96 deliveries featuring eight fours and one six, another opener Ifftikher Hossain scored 31-ball. READ: ‘Heart destroyed seeing two defeats yesterday’: Mashrafe    36 runs hitting five fours and six and captain SM Meherob made 47-ball 33 runs with two boundaries and one over boundary. Matheesha Pathirana claimed three wickets for 26 runs, Dunith Wellalage also took three wickets for 30 runs while Treveen Mathew snatched two wickets for 47 runs.

Sri Lankan legendary spinner Rangana Herath and South Africa batsman Ashwell Prince have been appointed as Bangladesh National Team’s consultants for spin bowling and batting respectively, Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) confirmed Saturday.  Herath will join the Bangladesh coaching team in Zimbabwe and will be in the role until the end of Bangladesh’s campaign in this year’s ICC Twenty20 World Cup. Prince has reached an agreement with the BCB to work with the Bangladeshi batsmen for the Tour of Zimbabwe 2021.  READ: From U-19 star to national team prospect: The incredible journey of Shamim 43-year-old Herath, the most successful left-arm spinner in the history of Test cricket with 433 wickets taken in a remarkable career lasting two decades, is an ICC/SLC Level 3 coach specialising in spin bowling. Herath represented Sri Lanka in 93 matches and scalped 433 wickets with 34 five-wicket hauls. He also has an incredible record of taking nine wickets in a single innings of a Test. Left-hander Prince has been capped 119 times by South Africa in the three formats. The  44-year-old is also a Level 3 coach who has worked as the batting consultant for South Africa A and had also been the A side’s interim-Head Coach. READ: T20 WC shifted to UAE from India Ashwell played 66 Tests, 52 ODIs and only T20I for South Africa. He played his last international match in 2011, a Test against Sri Lanka in Durban. He has 11 centuries and as many half-centuries under his belt in Tests.