The move by Mahinda Rajapaksa came after violence erupted on the streets of Colombo, the capital. It wasn’t immediately clear whether the resignation would satisfy the protesters.
The country’s Rajapaksa dynasty is facing its toughest challenge yet as protesters demand that the president step down amid a devastating economic crisis.
A debt crisis is disrupting life across Sri Lanka, where food and fuel are suddenly either unavailable or exorbitantly priced. Protests are rising against a president with a reputation for brutality.