Behind the wheels in a man’s world

She moves through the busy streets of Ashulia, defying all odds in every turn. Mukti Rani, a fearless "leguna" driver, is proving that women can conquer any profession even if the society is against the idea.

From a young age, she craved independence. Previously she had worked in the garment industry and faced many adversities.

But now with her own human-haulier, she is taking charge of her career and inspiring others to do the same.

Mukti's journey of becoming a human-haulier driver was not an easy one. However, she had the support of her father and brother.

"I thought if I start driving then more women  will be interested in this profession," Mukti said.

Hailing from a remote village in Tangail, she moved to Dhaka with her father when she was around 13 years old.

As a child worker in a garments factory, Mukti faced several obstacles in her path. She grew tired of the system and longed for a different profession. She took out a loan, and bought a human-haulier and started taking driving lessons from her brother.

"See, if I drove someone else's vehicle, I had to pay them Tk 1,050 everyday. That didn't seem worth it. Now I have my own vehicle, I keep Tk 5,000 to myself and pay back Tk 10,000 to my lender at the end of every month," she said.

At present, Mukti lives in Savar with her husband, who works in a garments factory.

"He earns Tk 15,000 per month and pays our rent. I take care of the rest with my income," she added.

WHAT IT'S LIKE ON THE ROAD

After months of practice and hard work, Mukti got her driver's license.

"Passengers always get confused if they should trust me, so I always carry my license around my neck to make them feel safe."

Majority of her usual passengers are workers from the EPZ, whom she drives to work early in the morning.

After completing her morning trips, she heads back home to tend to her household tasks and later resumes driving for additional trips.

Mukti's passengers rave about her driving skills and commend her for her professionalism.

"She drives really well, and you have to take a ride with her to understand," said Mahmud Rahman, one of her regular passengers.

CHALLENGES

As the public transport industry in Bangladesh has always been male-dominated, Mukti was always discouraged from pursuing a career outside of the home by her mother.

 "My mother was always concerned about my safety. She kept telling me that  girls' aren't suposed to drive," Mukti said.

"At first people bullied me. Gradually the scenario improved. But sometimes people stop in the middle of the road just to stare at me," she added.

Also the lack of public toilets in her area is also a big concern for her.

"There is only one public toilet in the Baipail area, but the men and women section is not marked there. Often I find 10 men standing in a queue and it is almost impossible for me to access the toilet," she added.

Although Mukti has faced several challenges, she persevered and hopes to inspire other women to pursue their dreams fearlessly.

Mukti dreams of driving a 14-wheelers one day and help others who want to pursue a similar path as her.