Jafar Feroz wins Malaysia's National Book Award

Bangladeshi filmmaker, writer, and organizer Zafar Firoz has won Malaysia's prestigious National Book Award for his contemporary novel 'The Forsaken Road'.

He was presented with a certificate and trophy signed by Malaysian Prime Minister Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim at a cultural event held at a convention center in Shah Alam on Wednesday (December 3) . The chairman of the jury panel, Professor Emeritus Tan Seri Datuk Seri Dr. Ibrahim Shah Abu Shah, presented the trophy.

Zafar Firoz has portrayed the socio-political reality of contemporary Bangladesh and Malaysia in his novel 'The Forked Road' very clearly and honestly. The murder of Abrar Fahad, the students' safe road movement, the problems of foreign students in Malaysia, political killings and disappearances, and the anti-discrimination movement are also included.

The novel also perfectly captures the incident of the Malaysian government bringing back the first Malaysian citizens at risk on a special flight when Bangladesh became unsafe during the July uprising.

The novel's timeline begins on December 16, 2019, Bangladesh's Victory Day, and ends on August 5, 2024. The creative blend of real events and imagination has earned the book special status among readers and critics.

The novel's central character is Ryan, a foreign student studying in Malaysia. His life is turned upside down with a single phone call. The news of his father's murder, his mother's illness, financial crisis, and an uncertain future. In the midst of all this, his long-held dream project is stolen. Ryan is stuck at a crossroads in life - will he return home, fight, or finish his studies? The Forsaken Road presents the reader with a new perspective on how deeply human decisions affect him. The book is now available on Amazon.