Godhuli Komal: A Collection of Five Novels by Abu Zafor Khan

"Godhuli Komal" - a phrase with a unique sweetness within its words. "Komal" means Lotus and "Godhuli" means the time of dusk or twilight. When these two words are combined, what meaning emerges? "Sandhya Padma"! Is it something like this? Just by looking at the compound word, it becomes apparent that some poet has created it. Now if you see the phrase printed on a beautiful cover of a book, what will you think at first glance? You might pick up the book with curiosity, and upon flipping through its pages, you might be surprised to find a table of contents inside. It would be a moment of wonder to discover that "Godhuli Komal" is actually a collection of novels.

The titles of the five novels included here: "Mekhalay Magnoliyar Mukh" "Jyotsnar Ful Fotar Shobdo", "Jyotsnabashor", "Megher Boshontodin", "Ekattorer Bhor".

The author of "Godhuli Komal" is Abu Zafor Khan. Abu Zafor Khan is a poet, novelist, and organizer by profession, currently serving as the Assistant Director at Pabna General Hospital. He was born on January 31, 1973, in Sayedpur village of Sujanagar Upazila in Pabna district. He obtained his MBBS degree from Rajshahi Medical College and later completed a postgraduate degree in Community Medicine from Dhaka.

This is his brief introduction. But the identity of a talented poet and novelist cannot be summed up so briefly. Abu Jafor Khan's journey as a talented poet and novelist began with the publication of his first novel, "Mekhalay Magnoliyar Mukh," in 2011. Since then, his fame has steadily grown. His novel, which revolves around the indigenous communities of the Chittagong Hill Tracts, quickly caught the attention of readers. Through poetic descriptions of the mountains and forests, coupled with informative presentations, the novel takes its readers on an extraordinary journey. Here's an example that illustrates Abu Jafor Khan's writing style: "In these thirty villages, the hill dwellers often confront the wrath of nature, sometimes battling with the fury of the elements, and other times with the afflictions of disease, sorrow, and aging. Despite these challenges, there remains an eternal bond of affection woven with the threads of time, binding them closely with the mountains, forests, and jungles." (Page-23)

Furthermore, the novel is enriched with information and history. Spread over approximately thirty-three kilometers southeast from Bandarban District headquarters lies a remote mountainous region called Balipara. The narrative of the novel revolves around this Balipara area.

The novel depicts the lives of three indigenous communities Chakma, Marma, and Murong who reside in Balipara. The author, having been stationed in Bandarban as a medical professional during 2009-2010, drew inspiration from his experiences to write this novel. The protagonist of "Mekhalay Magnoliyar Mukh" is Dr. Shaon, a medical practitioner by profession. Dr. Shaon, an outsider Bengali youth, visits Balipara and narrates his observations, which serve as the foundation of the novel penned by Dr. K.M. Abu Zafor. Dr. K.M. Abu Zafor is the professional alias of the author Abu Zafor Khan.

In this novel, the author has intricately intertwined reality with imagination. Amidst the backdrop of nature, there exists a blend of love and history, with mysteries entwined within.

As an author, Abu Zafor Khan's self-expression might have been delayed, but within a short span of time, many of his books have been published. In the past 12 years, he has had 21 books published. Among these published works, there are 9 novels, 9 poetry collections, and 2 short story collections. Additionally, he has co-authored 5 poetry collections with poets from two Bengals.

He has received several notable awards, including the International Mother Language Award from the Bangladesh Poets' Association, Rabindra Memorial Honor, Bangla Literature Award from the International Bengali Literary Conference (in Bangladesh), Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Literary Honor from Kolkata, Chokh Literary Award from the Chokh newspaper published in Kolkata, the Gold Medal from the Poet Jasimuddin Parishad, the Nazrul Literature Memory Gold Medal from West Bengal, India, and the Michael Madhusudan Academy Memorial Honor from Kolkata, West Bengal, India, among others.

Renowned literary figure Selina Hossain, while discussing his novels, stated, "The artistic composition of Abu Zafor Khan's novels reflects an unparalleled arrangement of the human psyche."

Poet Nirmalendu Goon also commented, "Though Abu Zafor Khan is a doctor by profession, he is intoxicated by poetry and literature. While he may not be popular, he is definitely an artist at heart."

The author is not as well known in literary circles as he is known as Abu Zafor Khan. While mentioning the reason for this, poet Girish Gairik said, 'He is a quiet and servile person. He is immersed in his medical profession and writing.

Publisher Aditya Antar, speaking about the publication of various books, stated, "Abu Zafor Khan is someone who, despite being reserved, engages in writing and literary discussions. Perhaps not many people know him personally, but his depth in writing, expression, and character portrayal make him a significant poet and literary figure."

If we properly nurture and support him, as a publisher, we can expect great things from him. There was a time when he enjoyed considerable popularity among readers. At book fairs, we sold 1,000 to 1,200 copies of some of his books. However, we now know that our readership is declining day by day. Consequently, his books are selling less. The reason for publishing five novels of his in "Godhulikomal" this year is that a reader will get five different novels in one book. There are romantic novels, social novels, and novels based on the Liberation War. When reading "Godhulikomal," a reader will gain a complete understanding of the way a writer thinks and constructs characters. To evaluate a good writer, we have made efforts as much as possible.