Head to Head is Al Jazeera English’s flagship debate show, and one of the most popular programmes on the network. It is an in-depth and robust one-on-one interview programme, where presenter Mehdi Hasan challenges a guest in front of our audience.

On Wednesday 5th February 2025, Mehdi Hasan will challenge Ranil Wickremesinghe, six-time Prime Minister of Sri Lanka and President from 2022 to 2024, who led the country during one of the most turbulent economic and political chapters in recent history.

Following his re-election loss in September 2024, we take stock of the state of Sri Lanka today and ask:
- Did his tough economic plan save Sri Lanka from collapse or set it up for bigger woes ahead?
- What progress has been made against corruption, human rights violations and misconduct in the country’s halls of power?
- And as Prime Minister of Sri Lanka at the time of the 2019 Easter bombings - could he have done more to prevent them and investigate those responsible?

Born into a political dynasty, Ranil Wickremesinghe has been a fixture of Sri Lankan politics since first entering parliament in the 1970s. He was Prime Minister during critical peace talks with the Tamil Tigers in the early 2000s and the 2019 Easter bombings that shook the country and trust in its institutions. As President, he negotiated a landmark IMF bailout and also oversaw a crackdown on mass protests. His advocates call him a smart and pragmatic problem-solver, while his detractors see an old-elite statesman eager to protect the status quo who facilitated the rise of the powerful Rajapaksa family.

The event will be recorded at 7.30pm on Wednesday 5th February 2025 at Conway Hall, 25 Red Lion Street, London WC1R 4RL near Holborn tube station.

If you would like to join us for an evening of compelling conversation, then apply now!