Honorary Major General Ratna Bahadur Godhar (Retd) was born on 29 September 1968 and is a permanent resident of Putali Bazar Municipality-13, Syangja, Gandaki Province. He currently resides in Bhaktapur, Bagmati Province, with his spouse, Mrs. Binu Godar, and their son, Mr. Aarohan Godar Thapa.
Maj Gen Godhar joined the Nepali Army in 1991 and was commissioned from the Indian Military Academy (IMA) in 1993. Over the course of a distinguished military career spanning more than three decades, he held a wide array of command, staff, and instructional appointments at various levels both in Nepal and abroad. He retired from active service in 2024.
His command experience includes serving as Company Commander of an Independent Company (2008–2009), Commanding Officer of an Infantry Battalion in Nepal (2013–2015), and Commanding Officer of an Infantry Battalion deployed under MONUSCO in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (2016–2017). He also served as Deputy Brigade Commander and later as Brigade Commander of an Infantry Brigade.
In addition to his Command roles, Maj Gen Godhar held several important staff appointments within the Nepali Army. These included serving as G3 Staff Officer at Army Headquarters, G2 Staff at Eastern Division Headquarters, and later at the Office of the Chief of Army Staff under the Military Secretary Branch. He was also involved in strategic military planning and organizational development through his service in the Directorate of Policy and Plans. As an instructor, he contributed significantly to the advancement of Professional Military Education in the Nepali Army, teaching at the Nepali Military Academy (Bhaktapur), the Nepali Army War College (Nagarkot), and the Nepali Army Command and Staff College (Shivapuri), Nepal.
Throughout his career, Maj Gen Godhar represented Nepal in five United Nations Peacekeeping Missions across Africa and the Middle East. His roles included Deputy Military Information Officer in UNAMSIL, Security and Risk Assessment Officer in MONUC (DRC), Deputy Milob Commander and G1 in MONUSCO, Commanding Officer of an Infantry Battalion in MONUSCO, and Chief of Training and Lessons Learned in UNIFIL.
He has completed numerous advanced military leadership and strategic-level courses, including UN-related programs. These include the Higher Command and Management Course (Nepal), the Army Command and Staff Course (Nepal), the Defence Services Command and Staff Course (Bangladesh), as well as various UN Peace Support Operations Instructor and Command Courses in Nepal, Bangladesh, and Uganda. These trainings equipped him with advanced expertise in military leadership, strategic and operational planning, and peace support operations.
From 2021 to 2024, he served as the Military Attaché of Nepal to the United Kingdom and France, representing the Nepali Army and the nation in bilateral defense diplomacy, engagement and enhancing global military cooperation—particularly with the United Kingdom.
Academically, Maj Gen Godhar holds two master’s degrees: one in Public Administration from Tribhuvan University, Nepal, and another in Military Strategic Studies from the Bangladesh University of Professionals. He also holds intermediate and bachelor’s degrees from Tribhuvan University, Nepal.
Throughout his illustrious career, Maj Gen Ratna Bahadur Godhar has demonstrated unwavering dedication to service, operational excellence, and leadership at both national and international levels. His areas of expertise include strategic and operational planning, national defense, defense engagement, United Nations Peacekeeping Operations, and human resource management during crises.