A successful entrepreneur, he established Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Limited and played a significant role in the independence movement.

[1] D. R. Wijewardena was born as the third male child of seven sons and two daughters of Muhandiram Tudugalage Don Philip Wijewardene, a timber merchant of Sedavatta, Colombo and Helena Weerasinghe.

There he developed his interest in politics and met famous personalities such as future leaders of India like Lala Lajpat Rai, Bepin Chandra Pal, Surendranath Banerji and Gopal Krishna Gokhale.

In 1913 he was elected secretary of the Ceylon National Association, marking his formal entry into politics and together with its President Sir James Peiris he agitated for constitutional reform and self-rule.

[5] He became the joint-secretary of the Ceylon Reform League along with W. A. de Silva, when it was formed in 1917 by Sir Ponnambalam Arunachalam.

He started several buses to deliver papers to remotes parts of the island and providing public service in turn.

Wijewardena expanded his personal holdings having acquired the Landscape Estate in Latpandura and Acadia in Diyatalawa.

[9] Wijewardena was in touch with local events and organised the first deputation to the Secretary of State for the Colonies with H. J. C. Pereira along with E. W. Perera.

As a result of lobbying benefits Ceylonese were given another concession of a seat in the British dominated Legislative Council of Ceylon.