Colombo: Former Sri Lankan foreign minister, Anura Bandaranaike, has died at the age of 59 on Sunday following an illness, a government spokesman has said.

A member of the country's famous political dynasty, Bandaranaike first entered Sri Lankan politics in 1977 when he was elected to parliament.

He continued to serve as minister of higher education, speaker of parliament and opposition leader but was never able to reach higher because of internal family battles.

A few months before his death, he had quit the Cabinet and joined opposition party.

Bandaranaike's father founded the Sri Lankan Freedom Party and also served as prime minister in the late 1950s. His sister Chandrika Kumaratunga also ruled the country from 1994 to 2005.