Dimuth Bhashitha Atapattu Appointed Director General Of Data Authority

Dimuth Bhashitha Atapattu, a Sri Lanka Administrative Service officer, has been appointed Director General of the Data Protection Authority with effect from 5 March 2026.

The appointment of a permanent Director General marks a key step in strengthening Sri Lanka’s personal data protection framework and enforcing the provisions of the Personal Data Protection Act No. 9 of 2022, as amended by Act No. 22 of 2025.

The Authority’s Board welcomed Atapattu, noting his extensive experience across both public and private sectors, including senior management roles.

Chairman Rajeeva Bandaranaike said the Board looks forward to working with Atapattu as he leads efforts to safeguard privacy rights and support responsible data driven innovation.

Atapattu said it is a privilege to lead the Authority at a crucial stage of Sri Lanka’s digital transformation. He added that he is committed to building an effective and independent regulator that protects data rights while supporting a secure and trusted digital economy.

Before this appointment, Atapattu served as Director in charge of Commercialisation and Partnerships at the Ministry of Digital Economy. He also serves as a Board Director of Sri Lanka CERT and the LK Domain Registry. His previous roles include positions at the Ministry of Defence, Department of Motor Traffic, and Department of Manpower and Employment. He has also worked in the private sector at Virtusa in Colombo and the United Kingdom, and at Queen’s University Belfast.

He holds a Bachelor of Computer Science from the University of Colombo School of Computing, a Masters of Information Systems from the University of Melbourne, and a Masters of Public Administration from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura.

Under his leadership, the Data Protection Authority is expected to be operationalised in phases, supporting the Government’s Digital Economy Blueprint and promoting a secure and responsible data governance culture in Sri Lanka.