Born in Okhaldhunga District
Rookmangud Katawal
रुकमाङ्गद कटवाल
Former Chief of Army Staff of the Nepal Army whose dismissal by PM Pushpa Kamal Dahal in 2009 triggered a major political crisis
About
Rookmangud Katawal served as Chief of Army Staff of the Nepal Army from 2006 to 2009. This period spanned the end of the Maoist insurgency and the country’s shift to a republic.
In May 2009, then-Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal moved to dismiss him. This was over disagreements about integrating former Maoist combatants into the national army. President Ram Baran Yadav reversed this decision. The resulting standoff, a situation where neither side backs down, ultimately forced Dahal’s resignation. It became one of the defining political crises of Nepal’s early republican period.
Quick facts
- Born
- 1948-12-12
- Birthplace
- Okhaldhunga District, Nepal
- Profession
- Military officer
- Nationality
- Nepal
- Status
- Alive
Previous roles
Chief of Army Staff
Nepal Army · 2006-09-10–2009-08
Education
Tribhuvan University
Quaid-i-Azam University
Career & life timeline
- 1948
- 1969
Began his career in the Nepali Army
- 2006-09
Appointed Chief of Army Staff
- 2009-05
Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal attempted to dismiss him over a dispute on integrating former Maoist combatants, triggering a political crisis that led to Dahal's resignation
- 2009-08
Completed his term as Chief of Army Staff
Awards & honours
Order of Gorkha Dakshina Bahu
Organizations & affiliations
- Nepal Army
Related people
Last updated: 2026-09-06