State minister for foreign affairs Shama Obaed Islam on Sunday said that Bangladesh wanted a proper investigation into the killing of two Bangladeshi doctoral students—Zamil Limon and Nahida Bristy—in the United States and the perpetrators be brought to justice soon.
‘We want a proper investigation into the brutal murder of two Bangladeshi students in the USA and those involved are brought to justice without delay,’ the state minister said in response to reporters’ questions over the matter at the ministry in Dhaka.
She said that the Bangladesh mission in Washington were in touch with the local authorities in Florida while she herself had talked to the families of the two victims as a legal process was under way to bring back the remains of Zamil recovered recently.
The US authorities have said that the Bangladeshi students—Zamil and Nahida—were murdered after their disappearance from the University of South Florida since April 16.
Shama Obaed said that remains of Zamil’s body would be brought back soon after the autopsy and necessary legal procedures were completed.
‘We are in contact with all the relevant agencies, including the Bangladesh Mission in Washington, the US Department of State... We have spoken to both families and will provide all possible cooperation from our side,’ the state minister added.
She said that the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment was engaged in the process.
Meanwhile, 26-year-old US citizen Hisham Abugharbieh, Zamil’s roommate, has been charged with two counts of first-degree premeditated murder with a weapon in the deaths of the Bangladeshi doctoral students, both aged 27, CNN reported.
Zamil was last seen on April 16 at about 9:00am at his off-campus home, about three blocks from the university campus, the police said.
He had been pursuing a degree in geography, environmental science and policy since the fall of 2024.
Nahida was last seen about an hour later at the Natural and Environmental Sciences Building on the campus, the police said.
She enrolled at the university last fall and was studying chemical engineering.
Zamil’ body was recovered on Friday from the Howard Frankland Bridge, while Nahida still remains missing.
Investigators, however, called Nahida’s family in Bangladesh saying that they believed she might be dead based on the amount of blood found in Zamil and the suspect’s shared apartment, the US news channel reported, quoting her brother.
Abugharbieh was arrested on Friday morning after law enforcement was called to his home for a reported domestic violence incident, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.
In addition to the murder charges, Abugharbieh, a former USF student, is facing charges of unlawfully moving a dead body, failure to report a death
with intent to conceal, tampering with physical evidence and false imprisonment and battery, the sheriff’s office had said.
