Sri Lanka re-establishes Old Bogambara Prison

The Sri Lanka government has re-established the Old Bogambara Prison as a prison facility, with jurisdiction covering the whole of Sri Lanka.

Minister of Justice and National Integration Harshana Nanayakkara has issued the relevant Extraordinary Gazette notification, bearing No. 2496/21 and dated July 08, 2026, for the re-establishment of the prison.

The order has been issued under the powers vested in the Minister by Section 2 of the Prisons Ordinance (Chapter 54).

According to the Gazette, the prison has been established for the purposes of the Prisons Ordinance.

The Schedule of the Gazette names the prison as “Old Bogambara” and states that its limits or districts will cover the whole of Sri Lanka.

This comes after the incident at the Negombo Prison, following which the inmates who were held there were transferred to other prisons.

Against this background, Gazette notifications have been issued to establish prison facilities.

Accordingly, Minister Harshana Nanayakkara also issued a Gazette notification on July 07, 2026, converting the old Mahamodara Hospital premises in Galle into a prison.

According to the Ministry of Justice, the prison at the old Mahamodara Hospital premises will be maintained on a temporary basis in a section of the now-closed hospital premises.