Lt. Col. (Retd.) A. T. Banagoda, an alumnus of St. Thomas’s College, Bandarawela, served in the Sri Lanka Army for 21 years, starting as a 2nd Lieutenant in 1981 and retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel in 2002 with an unblemished service record. He received professional training in military electronics, security, surveillance systems, and communications, both locally and internationally. He held key positions in technical, tactical, and administrative establishments, especially in Human Resources, and earned a postgraduate degree in Human Resource Management from Sri Jayawardenapura University.
He was awarded several military decorations, including the Uttama Seva Paddakkama for his service record and the Rana Shura Paddakkama for gallantry in Trincomalee. Post-retirement, he managed a modern fire system and sophisticated PABX system for a multinational company and gained experience in the financial sector, particularly in recoveries.