Goalpara, Feb. 18: It was a 'homecoming' his hometown wouldn't have wished for when he set out on his acting career back in 1997. Today, as the mortal remains of Ashraful Haque reached Goalpara town around 3pm, thousands gathered on the streets, at markets and Goalpara College to pay their last respects to a beloved son of the soil.

Ashraful Haque, 45, who acted in more than 30 Bollywood films, passed away around 2pm in a private hospital in Mumbai yesterday. He was suffering from myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), a blood disease.

A pall of gloom descended on Kismatpur, the locality where a young Ashraful grew up and harboured dreams to make it big on celluloid, something he did to an extent. His mother, Amijan Nessa, bedridden for quite some time, was inconsolable and so was his wife Safina Yasmin.

'He was a real artiste and tried to give his best for Indian cinema. There are so many things he used to tell me. He was suffering for the past two years and his condition became critical in the last eight months,' Safina said, their five-year-old son Ibrahim by her side, as she struggled to control her emotions.

Haque's body was laid to rest at the Peer Baba Mazar kabarsthan (cemetery) near Goalpara College around 6.30 in the evening.

Chief minister Tarun Gogoi condoled the death saying the dedication and sincerity of the talented actor and his contribution to the field of art and culture will always be remembered.

'Associated with art and culture since his student days, Ashraful had succeeded in creating his own space in the Hindi film industry because of his integrity and determination. His demise is an irreparable loss for all of us. I convey my condolences to the bereaved family,' Gogoi said in his message.

The actor's mortal remains were flown in from Mumbai to LGBI Airport in Borjhar this morning where All Assam Students' Union (AASU) members paid tribute. Later, members of the union accompanied the cortege to Goalpara, 130km from the airport.

People were seen on National Highway 37 waiting to pay their last respects to the artiste while the vehicle carrying his coffin passed through Dhupdhara, Dudhnoi, Krishnai, Agia, Bapujinagar and the new market of Goalpara.

Thousands of followers took part in the procession around Goalpara town. The body was kept at Goalpara College for a few minutes. Shops in the town remained closed today.

A graduate from the National School of Drama, he had acted in films like Delhi Belly, Fukrey, Paan Singh Tomar, Traffic Signal, Black Friday, Company, Deewar, Dil Kya Kare and Risk.

Haque studied at Baladmari High School and then Goalpara College before going to the National School of Drama (NSD) from where he graduated in 1997. He also earned a name by acting in various television serials.

The actor had started his career in theatre and worked with renowned playwrights, including Ram Gopal Bajaj, before trying his luck in Bollwood.

'He was associated with drama from school. He had a dream of making it in Bollywood, which came true. Today we feel alone after losing him,' said Uday Sankar Dey, a noted playwright of Goalpara, a close associate of Ashraful's.