In the aftermath of the 2019 Sri Lanka Easter Bombings Bathiudeen was accused of having ties with the bombers and interfering with the investigations in an attempt to release arrested suspects . According to the Army Commander Mahesh Senanayake , Bathiudeen called him three times first to confirm if a person was arrested and after ignoring him twice the commander confirmed that the person was arrested . Bathiudeen then mentioned the suspect 's father and asked what can be done to which the army commander replied asking him to call back in one and a half years as he has the authority to detain him that long . Further a house belonging to his sister was rented out to the terrorists to which Bathiudeen stated that his sister was in Canada . Further he denied that his brother had any business dealings with the father of the bombers and also stated that the IDB under him provided materials to the terrorists legally as they provide materials to small and medium enterprises and did not know their use . As a result of the allegations members of the Joint Opposition signed a No Confidence Motion against Bathiudeen consisting of 10 charges including the arrest of Abdul Hanuth who was a secretary to Bathiudeen and a Maulavi who was an advisor to Bathiudeen . Further it also accused him of influencing the police not to arrest suspects under Prevention of Terrorism Act allowing them to be give bail on 6th May 2019 , On 31 May Athuraliye Rathana Thera began a hunger protest requesting the removal of Muslim politicians with alleged ties to Islamists including Rishad Bathiudeen and Hizbullah . There were several protests by Sinhala and Tamil as well as Hindu , Christian and Muslim figures and organisations in support of the thera including by relatives of the bomb blasts
2019 Sri Lanka Easter Bombings
2019 Sri Lanka Easter bombings
Rishad Bathiudeen