Illness and the unfavorable weather conditions in the Himalayan region having prevented him from returning home to Bangladesh, Atish died in Tibet at the age of 73.

After Atish Dipankar was "rediscovered" in his motherland nearly a thousand years after he left Bangladesh for Tibet, China offered to return part of his ashes to Bangladesh.

During the handover in June l978, Beijing said that the return of Atish's ashes to Bangladesh was part of its efforts to strengthen China-Bangladesh relations.

Since then, Atish has become a symbol of a stronger "China- Bangladesh relations." In fact, a mausoleum has been built in the village of his birth with support from the Bangladeshi government.

"We express our gratitude to China for offering us Dipankar's ashes," said Syed Abul Maksud, an eminent Bangladeshi journalist, columnist, research scholar, essayist, and writer.

He stressed the need for developing a world-class center to study the life and works of Atish who is revered not only in Bangladesh, China and India but also in other parts of the world.

Dhaka University Professor Sadrul Amin underscored the need for translating all books written by Dipankar and articles about his works into English and Bangla.

"We have not published books on Atish in Bangla and English. We must help our young generation know more about him," Amin said.

Another Dhaka University Professor Emajuddin Ahamed said all Bangladeshi people must feel proud of Atish "who was able to conquer the world not with arms but with his remarkable knowledge and deep wisdom."