US police find Bangladeshi student dead, another still missing

Published : Saturday, 25 April, 2026 at 9:46 AM Count : 6

The body of one of two missing Bangladeshi doctoral students in the United States has been recovered, while the search continues for the other, with police arresting a suspect in connection with a domestic violence incident, authorities said Friday.

Zamil Limon and Nahida S Bristy, both 27 and doctoral students at the University of South Florida (USF), were reported missing earlier this week, according to a statement from the university’s police department. Both are from Bangladesh and were last seen about a week ago, according to the Bangladesh Embassy in Washington and US media.

Limon’s body was found Friday morning on the Howard Frankland Bridge in Tampa, Florida, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said at a news conference. An autopsy is being conducted to determine the cause of death.

Bristy remains missing, and the investigation into her disappearance is ongoing, said Chief Deputy Joseph Maurer.

Police have taken Limon’s roommate, Hisham Saleh Abugharbieh, into custody. He is facing multiple charges, including domestic violence, simple battery, false imprisonment, tampering with evidence, failure to report a death, and unlawfully holding or moving a dead body.

According to Maurer, deputies responded to a domestic violence call at the suspect’s residence around 9 a.m. Friday. Family members inside the home were able to leave safely, while the suspect initially refused to come out. After about 20 minutes, a SWAT team was deployed, and the suspect later exited the residence peacefully and was taken into custody.

Authorities said Limon, who was pursuing a doctorate in geography, environmental science and policy, was last seen at around 9 am on April 16 at his residence in Tampa. There had been no contact with him since, prompting the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office to process a missing person report.

Bristy, a doctoral student in chemical engineering, was last seen the same day at around 10 a.m. in the Natural and Environmental Sciences Building on the USF Tampa campus, police said. The USF Police Department filed her missing person report.

The case came to light after a family friend reported being unable to contact both students just before 5pm last Friday, triggering missing person reports and their entry into missing persons databases.

Zahaid Hasan Pranto, 29, Bristy’s older brother, told NBC News that the two had previously been in a romantic relationship but were not actively dating.

Family members said it is out of character for either Limon or Bristy to lose contact, noting that both regularly communicated with relatives in Bangladesh and would not voluntarily disappear.

The Bangladesh Embassy in Washington said it is maintaining regular communication with the US State Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

The Bangladesh Consulate in Miami is also in contact with local authorities and university officials, and a consular representative has visited the campus.

FP/A