Bandaranaike refers to Solomon West Ridgeway Dias Bandaranaike, a Sri Lankan politician who served as the Prime Minister of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) from 1956 until his assassination in 1959. He is known for his policies on social change, promotion of Sinhala as the official language, and establishment of diplomatic relations with non-Western countries, which significantly impacted Sri Lanka's political landscape and its role in international relations.