A missing Bangladeshi doctoral student at the University of South Florida (USF) has been found dead, while his roommate has been taken into custody, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.
Two Bangladeshi PhD students, Zamil Limon and Nahida Bristy, had been reported missing since last week. Limon’s body was recovered yesterday from the Howard Frankland Bridge, while Bristy remains unaccounted for, the sheriff’s office said.
 

Limon was pursuing a PhD in geography, environmental science and policy, while Bristy is a doctoral student in chemical engineering at the same university. Both are aged 27 and were last seen on April 16, university authorities said.

According to CNN News reports, Limon’s roommate, Hisham Abugharbieh, 26, was arrested on Friday morning after law enforcement responded to a reported domestic violence incident at his residence, said Chief Deputy Joseph Maurer. 

Abugharbieh, a former USF student, faces charges including battery, false imprisonment, tampering with evidence, failure to report a death, and unlawfully moving a dead body, the sheriff’s office said in a news release.

Limon and Bristy were reported missing by a family friend on April 17 after they were last seen around the university campus the previous day, according to campus police, CNN reported.

A medical examiner is determining Limon’s cause of death and may release autopsy findings over the weekend, Maurer said.

Before his arrest, Abugharbieh had been interviewed at least twice by investigators. He initially cooperated but later stopped responding during further questioning on Thursday, Maurer added.

By Friday, investigators were able to “link the suspect to this case and to (Limon’s) body,” the chief deputy added.

During the arrest, Abugharbieh barricaded himself inside a home, prompting a response from a SWAT team and crisis negotiators, authorities said. Video footage showed an armoured vehicle outside the residence before he surrendered.

No confirmed information has yet emerged on Bristy’s whereabouts, and the investigation remains ongoing.

The development was confirmed by the press wing of the Bangladesh Embassy in Washington, DC. The mission said it is maintaining regular contact with the US Department of State and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The Bangladesh Consulate in Miami is also coordinating with university authorities and local investigators, and a representative has visited the campus.

In a Facebook post, Press Minister Golam Mortoza described the incident as “extremely heartbreaking”.

Police earlier said Limon was last seen at around 9:00am on April 16 at his residence in Tampa, after which a missing person report was filed.

Bristy was last seen at around 10:00am the same day at the university’s Natural and Environmental Sciences building, with a separate report filed by campus police.

The disappearance of the two students had prompted concern among friends in Florida and relatives in Bangladesh.

Before Limon’s body was found, his brother told CNN the family was in “deep pain” while awaiting updates.

“It’s devastating for us,” said Zubaer Ahmed. “We are becoming numb. Anything could be possible. We just want to know the truth. It’s not possible for two students to disappear out of nowhere.”

According to CNN, Limon had spoken to his family about Bristy and had been considering marriage, his brother said.