Hello, thank you for downloading the Witness History Podcast from BBC World Service with

me, Matt Pintus.

On this programme I'm taking you back to 2006, when Sri Lanka's current president, Gotter

Bayerajapaksa, came within just meters of death when he was targeted in a suicide bombing.

It was an attack that changed the course of Sri Lankan history.

This early December, 2006 in Sri Lankan's main city, Colombo.

Foreign Secretary Palli Pallihakara is on his way to a meeting at the president's official

residence, Temple Trees.

I was going to debriefing with the president and other senior officials.

We were waiting at a traffic light, a kilometre from the president's office.

A few cars in front and also on his way to the meeting is Gotter Bayerajapaksa, the

then Sri Lankan Defence Secretary.

As the light turns green and the motorcade starts to move, Pallihakara notices a three-wheel

took to the other side of the road, the vehicle is hurtling, of course.

Suddenly, I thought, on the clock, went off with a big band, we were stunned to try

when myself in the car.

You were at a loss to understand what was going on.

It happened less than 20 feet away from our vehicle.

It was really a huge shock.

There was a airy silence and then there was the smell of burning tyres and then we realized

that it was explosion.

Fortunately, the car was open and that's why we got out of the vehicle because nearby

...