The following lists notable events that took place during the year 2022 in Sri Lanka.
Incumbents National Ranil Wickremesinghe(Age ) Dinesh Gunawardena(Age ) Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena(Age ) Jayantha Jayasuriya Sajith Premadasa(Age ) United National Party Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna Independent Samagi Jana Balawegaya
Former Gotabaya Rajapaksa(Age ) Mahinda Rajapaksa(Age ) Ranil Wickremesinghe(Age ) Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna United National Party
Provincial
Governors Central Province – Lalith U Gamage Eastern Province – Anuradha Yahampath North Central Province – Maheepala Herath Northern Province – Jeevan Thiagarajah North Western Province – Wasantha Karannagoda Sabaragamuwa Province – Tikiri Kobbekaduwa Southern Province – Willy Gamage Uva Province – A. J. M. Muzammil Western Province – Roshan Goonatilake
Chief Ministers Central Province – Vacant Eastern Province – Vacant North Central Province – Vacant Northern Province – Vacant North Western Province – Vacant Sabaragamuwa Province – Vacant Southern Province – Vacant Uva Province – Vacant Western Province – Vacant
Events COVID-19 pandemic in Sri Lanka 2019–present Sri Lankan economic crisis 2022 Sri Lankan protests 2022 Sri Lankan political crisis Exile of Gotabaya Rajapaksa 2022–2023 mpox outbreak in Asia
Events by month January 2 January − The total number of deaths from COVID-19 in Sri Lanka surpasses 15,000 with 24 more deaths. 4 January − Former Sri Lankan cricketer and current Sri Lanka women's cricket team head coach Hashan Tillakaratne tests positive for COVID-19. 5 January − International cricketer Bhanuka Rajapaksa retires from international cricket after a three-year career at the age of 30. However, on 13 January 2022, he withdrew his retirement following a request from sports minister. 8 January − International cricketer Danushka Gunathilaka retires from Test match cricket. 9 January − International cricketer Avishka Fernando tests positive for COVID-19. 11 January − A hand grenade is recovered from the premises of All Saints' Church, Borella. On 13 January, the main suspect involved in setting up the hand grenade inside the church was identified as a 56-year-old who was associated with the church for nearly 16 years. 12 January The construction work of the second phase of Eastern Container Terminal, spread over an area of 75 hectares is 1,320 meters long at the Colombo Port, is inaugurated. The Colombo High Court Trial-at-Bar sentences former Prisons Commissioner Emil Ranjan Lamahewa to death for his crimes committed during the 2012 Welikada prison riot, while also acquitting the first defendant in the case, former Inspector of Police (IP) Neomal Rangajeewa from all charges in the case. 15 January − The Ethugalpura Gateway, the second phase of the Central Expressway from Mirigama to Kurunegala is declared open for the general public. 17 January − General Secretary of the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) and former parliamentarian V. Anandasangaree tests positive for COVID-19. 18 January − The female lion cub named 'Dora', born on 26 July 2021 at the Ridiyagama Safari Park, makes her public debut. She is the first lion cub to be born to the lioness 'Lara' at the Ridiyagama Safari Park. 19 January − A power generator that supplied 150 megawatts at the Kelanitissa Power Station was temporarily shut down due to the lack of fuel. Later that day, all operations at the Kelanitissa Power Station, which generated 300 MW of electricity, were halted completely. 20 January Minister of Public Security and retired Rear Admiral Sarath Weerasekara and Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian Shanakiya Rasamanickam test positive for COVID-19. Sri Lankan leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga is included in both ICC Men's T20I and ODI teams of the year 2021 whereas skipper Dimuth Karunaratne is included in the ICC Men's Test team and pace bowler Dushmantha Chameera is selected for the ICC Men's ODI team. 21 January − The total number of COVID-19 cases in Sri Lanka surpasses 600,000. 22 January The 2021 (2022) Grade 5 Scholarship Examinations are held at 2,943 centres from 9.30 a.m. to 12.15 p.m. with a total of 340,508 candidates. Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) parliamentarians Sarathi Dushmantha and Nalaka Kottegoda test positive for COVID-19. 24 January Sri Lanka women's national cricket team qualifies for the 2022 Commonwealth Games after they beat Bangladesh Women by 22 runs at the final of Commonwealth Games Women's Cricket Competition Qualifiers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Samagi Jana Balawegaya parliamentarian Rohini Kumari Wijerathna tests positive for COVID-19. 25 January − State Ministers Jayantha Samaraweera and Dilum Amunugama, as well as MP Amarakeerthi Athukorala and his wife, all test positive for COVID-19. 26 January − Sri Lankan international cricketer Dilruwan Perera announces his retirement from international cricket after a 14-year career. 28 January − Laboratory tests confirm that 95% of the new COVID-19 cases reported in Sri Lanka were caused by the Omicron variant. 29 January Speaker of the Parliament of Sri Lanka Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena tests positive for COVID-19. A 40-year-old Sri Lankan father Indika Gunathilaka murders his four-year-old daughter, Lily, and six-year-old son, Kohan, before hanging himself in the garage of their home on Essington Street, in the southeast Perth suburb of Huntingdale. 31 January − International cricketer Chamika Karunaratne, first-class cricketer Nuwan Thushara, interim head coach Rumesh Ratnayake and trainer Dilshan Fonseka all test positive for COVID-19.
February 2 February A group of outsiders attack the hostel of the Kelaniya University's Faculty of Medicine in Ragama, where three students whom were injured were admitted to the Colombo North Teaching Hospital in Ragama. The following day, Avinda Randila Jehan Fernando, son of State Minister Arundika Fernando, was arrested over the assault after he surrendered to the police. Fernando resigned from his ministerial position after the arrest of his son. The total number of COVID-19 deaths in Sri Lanka surpasses 15,500 with 23 more deaths. 3 February Minister of Environment Mahinda Amaraweera tests positive for COVID-19. Sri Lanka receives its first-ever Geographical indication (GI) certification after the European Union (EU) Commission grants GI status to Ceylon cinnamon. 6 February − Samagi Jana Balawegaya parliamentarian Harshana Rajakaruna tests positive for COVID-19. 7 February − The 2021 (2022) G.C.E. Advanced Level Examinations commence at 2,438 centers island-wide with a total of 345,242 candidates. 8 February − Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna parliamentarian Dilan Perera and international cricketer Kusal Mendis test positive for COVID-19. 9 February − Attorney-at-Law Hejaaz Hizbullah, who was held in custody under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), returns home after nearly two years. 11 February A large-scale drug peddler identified as Dulan Sameera Sampath alias "Abba" dies in a shootout with the Police Special Task Force (STF) in the area of Egoda Uyana, Moratuwa. The University of Vavuniya is declared open as the 17th State University of Sri Lanka, under the patronage of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. 12 February − International cricketer Binura Fernando tests positive for COVID-19 during the Australian cricket tour. 14 February − A group of individuals reportedly attacked the residence of senior journalist Chamuditha Samarawickrama at Wewala, Piliyandala where several windows had been shattered and feces had been thrown at the house as well. 15 February International cricketer Wanindu Hasaranga contracts COVID-19 during the Australian cricket tour. A drug dealer named Manawaduge Asanka Maduranga alias "Parippuwa" is arrested by the Police Special Task Force during a raid carried out in the area of Konkadawala. 18 February Former Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando and Former Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Pujith Jayasundara, who were accused of criminal negligence of duty by failing to prevent the 2019 Easter Sunday terror attacks despite receiving intelligence information in advance, are acquitted of the charges laid on them. Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) Member of Parliament Akila Ellawala tests positive for COVID-19. 20 February − The total number of COVID-19 deaths in Sri Lanka surpasses 16,000 with 30 more deaths. 22 February − Vice chairman of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) Jeewan Kumaranatunga steps down from all positions he held in the party and expects to join the New Lanka Freedom Party under the leadership of Kumara Welgama.
March 3 March – Minister of Industries Wimal Weerawansa and Minister of Energy Udaya Gammanpila are removed from their Ministerial Portfolios. 7 March – Sri Lanka's largest cement factory, the facility of Lanwa Sanstha Cement Corporation (Pvt) Ltd. is declared open in the Magampura Lanka Industrial Zone, Hambantota. 25 March – Former Minister Pandu Bandaranaike is arrested while attempting to sell three elephant pearls for Rs. 10 million. 28 March – The fifth Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Summit, hosted by the Government of Sri Lanka, begins in Colombo. 31 March – 2022 Sri Lankan protests: Hundreds of protesters storm the residence of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in Mirihana to protest against the government's poor handling of the economy, leading to shortages of fuel and power cuts that had reached over 12-hours a day.
April 1 April – 2022 Sri Lankan protests: President Gotabaya Rajapaksa declares a State of Emergency in Sri Lanka, in effect from 1 April 2022. 2 April – 2022 Sri Lankan protests: A 36-hour island-wide curfew is imposed at 6:00pm, and lasted until 6:00am on Monday, 4 April, to avoid further protests. 3 April – 2022 Sri Lankan political crisis: All 26 cabinet ministers resign en masse except for Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa. 4 April – 2022 Sri Lankan political crisis: A new 4-member cabinet is appointed following the resignation of the previous cabinet of ministers. Minister of External Affairs : G. L. Peiris Minister of Finance : Ali Sabry Minister of Education : Dinesh Gunawardena Minister of Highways : Johnston Fernando 7 April – Nandalal Weerasinghe is appointed as the new Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka. 8 April – The Sri Lanka Navy apprehends 2 suspects with nearly 956 grams of crystal methamphetamine called "ice" and a dinghy during a patrol in seas north of Talaimannar, believed to be worth over Rs. 7.6 million. Later, the navy personnel apprehends more 3 suspects with around 1 kg of "ice" in seas off the Delft Island which was worth approximately Rs. 8 million. 9 April – 2022 Sri Lankan protests: Tens of thousands of anti-government protestors occupy Galle Face Green in Colombo, in one of the largest street protests in the country's history, and rename the protesting area as "Gotagogama". 11 April Many leading licensed commercial banks in Sri Lanka declare their selling rate of the US Dollar at Rs. 330 and the buying price of the dollar at Rs. 320. Sri Lankan actor Hiran Abeysekera wins the award for Best Actor at the Laurence Olivier Awards, held at the Royal Albert Hall in London, for his performance as the main protagonist in the Wes-End play 'Life of Pi'. 12 April – The Asia Rugby Executive Committee (EXCO) decides to impose a temporary membership suspension on Sri Lanka Rugby with immediate effect, upon receiving contrary letters from Sri Lanka's Ministry of Sports and the National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka casting serious doubt over the legitimate body to administer the sport. 14 April – Fitch Ratings downgrades Sri Lanka's Long-Term Foreign-Currency Issuer Default Rating (IDR) from 'CC' to 'C'. 15 April