How do I describe Ms.

Nahida Rahman Shumona as a leader

Ms. Nahida Rahman Shumona, Director General (Regional Organizations) is passionate about creating the
service model and the team that can actually be regarded by others as an epitome of excellence.
However, she is very conscious of the need to never become complacent. When it comes to problem
solving, she expects her team to invoke serendipity and be creative, inventive and open-minded. Earlier,
in her capacity as the Director (Personnel and Policy & Organization), she tried to assist us to develop our
innate skills and strengths ̶ a nurturing which could translate into helping those around her become
leaders eventually in their own right. Though she is an avid multitasker with assertiveness, she never
undertakes tasks that don't resonate with her core values and beliefs. Ms. Shumona doesn’t let her career
define her true ‘self’; rather, she expresses herself as a composite of a professional, a mother, a friend
and a colleague, and above all, a part of the humanity. During moments of melancholy and introspection,
hardship and ease, we found her meditating the art of enduring mindfulness.

In contrast to many of her colleagues who tend to be career-centric, Ms. Shumona views work
holistically, as a component of her overall life plan. Preferring collaboration to competition, she tries to
overcome adversity with grace. We have observed with deep admiration that throughout the span of
twenty years in her diplomatic career, and especially as the Director General (Consular and Welfare), she
has always wanted to do something that challenges her and makes her stand up to celebrate her ethos
so that she can earnestly represent the voice of the people she serves. Ms. Shumona understands her
strengths and vulnerabilities and strives to be versatile and resilient in the face of persistent and systemic
hurdles. To spark innovation and drive phenomenal outcomes, she continually seeks ways to educate us,
enrich our faculty of imagination and raise awareness of trends and ongoing developments. Each day,
she spends hours reading books and journals and listening to first-hand accounts of the shifting
landscapes of global politics. She has never been hesitant to have exchange of ideas with institutions,
organizations and individuals that lie outside her area of comfort. Ms. Shumona is a vivid inspiration for
herself, for all of us in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and for female leaders everywhere.

Remarks by:

(Deen Muhammad Imadul Hoque)

Senior Assistant Secretary (Regional Organizations)
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dhaka