Fear grows over missing Bangladeshi students in US

A deep sense of anxiety and grief has surrounded the fate of two missing Bangladeshi PhD students from the University of South Florida in the United States, after the body of one student, Jamil Limon, was recovered while the other, Nahida Bristi, remains missing.

Although no trace of Nahida has yet been found, police have said they fear she may no longer be alive.

Early on Friday morning, Pinellas County police recovered the body of 27-year-old PhD student Jamil Limon from the top of the Howard Frankland Bridge in St. Petersburg.

Shortly afterwards, Limon’s roommate, Hisham Abugharbiya, was identified as the prime suspect in the case.

Police have so far filed multiple charges against Hisham, including domestic violence, tampering with evidence, and unlawful disposal of a corpse. Investigators believe he acted alone.

Law enforcement officers carried out a dramatic operation to arrest the suspect.

A few hours after Limon’s body was recovered, police traced Hisham to his residence in the Tampa Lake Forest area.

Following a 20-minute standoff involving a SWAT team, he was forced to surrender and was taken into police custody.

Former FBI agent and crime analyst Dr Breanna Fox, commenting on the case, said the way evidence had been found scattered across various locations in the Tampa Bay area suggested the crime had not been carefully planned, but rather involved a hurried attempt to destroy evidence.

She also described the discovery of Limon’s body near the busy Howard Frankland Bridge as unusual.

According to her, incidents of this nature are often linked to financial disputes, jealousy, or sudden personal conflicts.

She added that an examination of the accused’s background suggested a rapid escalation of violent behaviour.

Police have also delivered deeply distressing news to the family of chemical engineering student Nahida Bristi.

Nahida’s brother, Zahid Hasan, said that a “large amount of blood” had been found inside the apartment shared by Jamil and Hisham.

Investigators suspect that Nahida may have been killed and her body dismembered, which could make the recovery of her remains extremely difficult.

Nahida was last seen on the USF campus on 16 April.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said the investigation remains ongoing.

Officials added that following the autopsy of Limon’s body, more serious charges could be brought against Hisham.

At the same time, a special police operation continues in an effort to locate Nahida and determine the full circumstances surrounding the case.