Florida's missing Bangladeshi PhD students both dead

Two Bangladeshi PhD students of the University of South Florida who disappeared in the US state have both died.

A family member confirmed Nahida Sultana Brishti's death today (25 April), while Jamil Limon's body was recovered from the Howard Frankland Bridge in Tampa earlier. 

Zahid Hasan Pranto, in a Facebook post this morning (25 April), said, "My sister is no longer with us."

However, US police had not yet confirmed the recovery of her body or her death at the time of reporting.

Earlier, another missing Bangladeshi student, Jamil Limon, was found dead in a mutilated condition.

Local law enforcement in Hillsborough, Florida, confirmed during a press briefing yesterday (24 April) that his body had been recovered from the Howard Frankland Bridge in Tampa.

Police arrested a suspect, Hisham Saleh Abugharbeh, 26, a roommate of Jamil, in connection with the disappearances.

The suspect is currently being interrogated, and further details are awaited.

Jamil Limon was pursuing a PhD in the Department of Geography, Environment and Policy at the University of South Florida, while Nahida was engaged in doctoral research in Chemical Engineering at the same university.
 

According to CNN, both Jamil Limon and Nahida Bristy had been missing since 17 April after being reported missing by a family friend. University police said they were last seen near the campus the previous day.

Limon's body was later recovered yesterday from the Howard Frankland Bridge in Tampa. Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a statement, "This is a deeply disturbing case that has shaken our community and impacted many who were hoping for a safe resolution."

Law enforcement also confirmed the arrest of Limon's roommate, Hisham Abughariebh, on Friday morning after police were called to his residence for a reported domestic violence incident.

According to the report, Abughariebh, a 26-year-old former USF student, now faces multiple charges including battery, false imprisonment, tampering with evidence, failure to report a death, and unlawfully moving a dead body, according to the sheriff's office.

Authorities said he was initially cooperative during questioning but later stopped cooperating. Investigators eventually linked him to the case and to Limon's body.

During his arrest, Abughariebh reportedly barricaded himself inside a home, prompting a SWAT response and crisis negotiators before surrendering.

A medical examiner is still determining Limon's cause of death, with autopsy results expected to be shared later.

The report added that Limon had spoken positively about Bristy to his family in Bangladesh and had discussed the possibility of marriage with her. He was working on his PhD thesis on using generative AI to monitor shrinking wetlands in South Florida.

His brother Ahmed said, "He shared that she is a good girl, and she has a lot of talent, like she can sing and cook well." He added, "My brother is very decent and a very simple person. He always put a smile on his face."