 Moulana grew up in Eravur, and attended Aligarh Central College in Eravur for his primary education, and thereafter the Jesuit-run St. Michael’s College for his secondary education.For his post-secondary education, he attended Jamal Mohamed College in Trichy, India, obtaining a bachelor's degree in commerce, and immediately thereafter the University of California, Los Angeles, US, obtaining a master's degree in computer science in 1987.Moulana then returned to Sri Lanka in 1988 and entered active politics.