From Madrasa Student to Driving Seat, a Woman Breaks Barriers in Cox’s Bazar

Driving Change: A Madrasa Graduate Breaks Gender Barriers in Cox’s Bazar

June 3, 2025

A woman in a black hijab sits in a car, looking directly at the camera. — Noorjahan Islam Noor, a former madrasa student from Ukhiya, Cox’s Bazar, confidently takes the driver’s seat—breaking gender barriers and steering her way toward economic independence through UNDP’s ISEC project.

©UNDP Bangladesh

Hands clenched on the steering wheel, foot steady on the accelerator, eyes full of resolve—Noorjahan Islam Noor defies stereotypes every time she takes the driver’s seat. In a place where a burqa-clad woman behind the wheel still turns heads, Noor is charting her own path with quiet confidence.

Her journey began in the remote coastal area of Ukhiya, Cox’s Bazar, where educational options for girls are limited. Noor started her schooling at a Qawmi Madrasa, the most accessible institute in her locality, completing studies equivalent to Grade 5 before transitioning to an Alia Madrasa. She sat for her Dakhil (secondary school) examination in 2019 with dreams of higher education. But her aspirations were cut short—her family did not allow women to move to another city to study. In 2020, she was married off.

Hands gripping a steering wheel inside a car, with dashboard and paperwork visible. — With steady hands on the wheel, Noorjahan Islam Noor trains to become a professional driver—empowered through vocational skills provided by the ISEC project in Cox’s Bazar.

©UNDP Bangladesh

For a while, life was hopeful. She had a son, but a tragic accident left her husband unable to work. With mounting financial stress, Noor decided to take charge. She began offering private tuition to local girls, but the income was barely enough.

That’s when Noor remembered her childhood fascination with her father’s profession—he was a truck driver. She thought, “If he could do it, why can’t I?”

Her search led her to the Improving Skills and Economic Opportunities in Cox’s Bazar (ISEC) project, jointly implemented by UNDP, ILO, and BRAC and supported by Global Affairs of Canada. The project provides vocational training for out-of-school youth, including former Madrasa students like Noor. When she found out that driving was one of the skill tracks offered, she immediately enrolled.

“My instructors were incredibly supportive. They believed in me even when I doubted myself,” she recalls. “They helped me apply for my professional license and are still guiding me toward job placement.”

Noor is now preparing to become a certified professional driver, aiming to secure a job, many of which are available with NGOs working in the Rohingya camps and host communities.

Through the ISEC project, many young women like Noor are receiving the training, mentorship, and confidence they need to rewrite their futures. The initiative is not just creating drivers or computer operators, it’s nurturing hope and resilience, one life at a time.