Members of Parliament and President Mahinda Rajapaksa paid their last respects to Minister of Highways and Road Development and Chief Government Whip Jeyaraj Fernandopulle when his remains were taken to the Parliament complex this morning (April 7).

Minister Fernandopulle was assassinated in an LTTE bomb explosion in last morning.

The funeral will take place on Thursday (April 10) in Katana, Gampaha with full state honours.

Minister Fernandopulle entered the Parliament in 1983 and represented Gampaha district in five consecutive elections. A lawyer by profession, the late Minister was a fluent speaker in Sinhalese, Tamil and English.

During his career, he held many ministerial portfolios including, the Minster of Catholic Affairs, Minister of Ethnic Concession and National Unity, Minister of Port and Aviation, and Minister of Highways and Road Development.

He had also been appointed the UPFA organizer for the Trincomalee District for the forthcoming provincial council elections in the East.