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On a Song
Here’s the perfect example of a young woman who has accomplished enormous success in both her career and family life. Who says a woman can’t be good in both? In this article we find out Nuzhat Bari’s recipe for success. By Sanjida S. Tawhid
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When I first saw her, I was awestruck. Whereas I had expected to find an austere and aged professional, I discovered Nuzhat Bari to be a young, smart and beautiful with a dazzling confidence and a no-nonsense attitude.
We started our chat discussing about the years she spent in Dubai, where her father worked as an Engineer. Born in Sylhet, Nuzhat moved to Dubai when she was only ten months old and lived there till she was seventeen. At her high school, she stood third in the entire Commerce division, under the Central Board and Senior Education (CBSE) system of the Delhi board, in 1996. She returned to Bangladesh with her parents and earned her degree in business from independent University Bangladesh (IUB) with a major in Marketing in IUB she contested in the Alumni Committee’s election and won the office of Head of Cultural Activities by a landslide. Currently, she’s the Marketing Manager f the Dairy division of Nestle Bangladesh Ltd.
Ever since she was a child, Nuzhat Bari never learnt how to be idle; ever-active and energized with the
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will to do something useful in life, Nuzhat knew from the very beginning that she was going to make the most of her life. During her summer-breaks, she would make herself busy working in NGOs and other organizations; she even worked as a teacher in “Little Jewels” school in Purana Paltan. After her graduation, she worked in the Advertising department of Adcom for almost a year. In 2001, her desire to take on bigger challenges and responsibilities and to explore the entire marketing process of a product led her to Nestle, where she has been working for the last 7 years. Along with being Marketing services for the Activation department and is responsible for execution of campaigns for all foods and beverages for all target groups of Nestle.
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I asked her what makes her work at Nestle with so much enthusiansm. She says, “The best part about Nestle is the MNC culture, the swift pace of an FMCG company and the diversified backgrounds of the people involved, all of which suits me perfectly.” She has developed several successful campaigns notably the “Growing up” milk campaign for a niche group, where she arranged for doctors to visit schools and talk to mothers about their children’s nutrition. Later she came up with “Asho NIdo Pushti Jogot” campaign, encouraging people to join the “Nido Nutrition World.” She has also initiated the Storekeeping unit (SKU) drive in modern trade, which is now being followed by other product categories, as well as the concept of door-to-door campaigns. Nuzhat Bari contributes to Nestle and the mothers of our country “through various activities, be it press or the varied activations- I try to guide mothers on what nutrition is for children, the easy ways to help your child get the appropriate diet and not only diet needs but other psychological aspects like how to encourage children to be smart, leadership-oriented and active.”
She smiles affectionately and says how her parents’ blessings have a always guided her in life. “My mother always believed in me and encouraged me in all sectors of my life. She even bought me a harmonium in Dubai to encourage me to sign. It’s also due to her influence that I read Radio news during my university years. This experience later led me to act as Master of Ceremony in several professional as well as in house programs. In 2002, I started working as the English news presenter for ETV and it was only possible because my mother always boosted up my confidence. Sometimes when I am going through a really bad day and feel like giving up, it’s my mother who comes to rescue wth her supply of confidence boosters. I’ve received many accolades from people all over the country, as well as in my professional life, and I gladly lend all the credit to my mother.”
I asked her about her years of growing up in Dubai and in Bangladesh. Reminiscing about her adolescent and teenage years, she lauds the way her mother raised her and her siblings to be self-sufficient and responsible, with a deep rooted understanding of what’s right and wrong. She also talks about the role of her school, which was very disciplined and structured. At school, Nuzhat was immersed herself in studies, sports and cultural activities. Studying in a foreign school, Nuzhat was always willing and active in promoting her culture among her foreign peers. She participated in many functions and competitions and even played in her school’s basketball team. All these taught her leadership skills that she now finds extremely valuable in managing and accommodating change within her organization.
Nuzhat bari feels extremely privileged to have the support of her family, especially her husband in her career and the support of Nestle in facilitating her role as a mother. She explains how her priorities have changed now as she rushes back home after work to be with her eight month old daughter. I asked her what makes her gleam with happiness and what makes her swoon with frustration. With a charming humility, Nuzhat says big, fancy things do not make her happy. Instead it’s those small things like receiving appreciation from her colleagues and her family that makes her forgets even past regrets.
Her message to Bangladeshi women is to never give up even when the going gets tough. She feels that the men in our society need to encourage and motivate the women so that together, they can achieve the maximum of their potential, which will lead to a prosperous family and ultimately a prosperous nation. Still buzzing with creativity and a pair of gleaming eyes that is not ready to submit to anything, Nuzhat leaves little doubt about the fact that persistence and hard work can take anyone to any level in life.
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