Body of missing Bangladeshi PhD student found in Florida, one held

Authorities in the United States have recovered the body of a missing Bangladeshi PhD student, while a suspect– his roommate– has been arrested.

According to a report by WFLA News Channel 8, the remains have been identified as those of Jamil Limon, 27, a doctoral researcher in geography, environment and policy at the University of South Florida.

Police are continuing the search for another missing Bangladeshi student, Nahida Brishti, also 27, who was pursuing chemical engineering at the same university. Both students had been reported missing since April 16.

The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office has arrested 26-year-old Hisham Abugarbeyeh, Limon’s roommate, in connection with the case. The arrest followed a coordinated operation in the Lake Forest residential area, located less than a mile from the university campus.

Deputies cordoned off the area on Friday morning (April 24), with a SWAT team arriving at around 10:36AM. A suspect was taken into custody shortly before noon and his identity was later disclosed by law enforcement officials.

Investigators said the recovered remains were found near the Howard Frankland Bridge and subsequently identified as Limon’s.

Authorities confirmed that Limon was last seen at his residence in Tampa around 9AM on April 16, while Brishti was last seen about an hour later at a campus academic building. Separate missing persons reports were filed by local and university police.

The Embassy of Bangladesh in Washington, D.C. has verified the developments and said it is closely monitoring the situation.