‘Extremely suspicious’: Two Bangladeshi students missing in Florida for several days, phones switched off, not in ICE custody
Two Bangladeshi doctoral students go missing in Florida.
Two Bangladeshi students pursuing their doctorates at the University of South Florida have been missing for several days with no information from their families in Bangladesh or friends in the US. Jameel Limon and Nahida S. Bristy, 27, were last seen on April 16, according to the University of South Florida Police Department. It was believed that they were in a relationship.Both their phones are switched off now. The families raised concerns over whether he was detained by ICE, but police confirmed that his immigration status was clear and he was not being held by ICE.They disappeared within an hour as Limon was last seen at his student apartment on Avalon Heights Boulevard near the college at 9 a.m. on April 16. Bristi was last seen around 10 a.m. in the Natural and Environmental Sciences building on campus.Their mysterious disappearance went unnoticed for a day and a family friend reported them missing at 5 pm the next day after trying to reach them separately. “Everyone internally is obviously very concerned, as are we,” USF Public Safety Public Information Officer Larry MacKinnon told FOX13. “This is not typical of their behavior, they are graduate students. We do not have information that there is foul play or suspicious nature at this point.“Their families said it was unusual for both of them to be absent from classes for several days as they are known to be dedicated and responsible students working on their doctoral studies. Limon is pursuing a PhD in Geography, Environmental Science and Policy, Bristi is studying Chemical Engineering.“When we get to the point where we’re not having success locating them, our next best source is the public,” MacKinnon said. “We’re right here.”Limon’s brother from Bangladesh told Fox13 that his disappearance is extremely suspicious. Zuber Ahmed said, “He is a very responsible and punctual person, and that’s why the situation is so unexpected and unusual for us…like, and very suspicious.” The last time he spoke to his brother, Limon was busy with his thesis.“Another important thing is that they talked about having a future together, but they are not that serious about it,” Ahmed said. “They’re both thinking about whether we can get married together and they’re discussing it.”
