Florida police have confirmed that human remains recovered near Tampa Bay belong to Nahida Sultana Bristy, a Bangladeshi PhD student who vanished alongside classmate Jamil Ahmed Limon on 16 April, officials said Friday, bringing a grim close to a two-week search that had riveted Bangladesh and its diaspora.

The Florida Police Department notified Bristy's brother by telephone on 1 May, formally identifying the second set of remains as hers, the Bangladesh Embassy in Washington D.C. announced. The embassy and the Bangladesh Consulate General in Miami have begun coordinating the repatriation of her body to Bangladesh.

Both victims were 27-year-old doctoral candidates at the University of South Florida (USF) in Tampa. Limon was pursuing a PhD in Geography, Environment and Policy; Bristy was enrolled in Chemical Engineering.

— Bangladesh Embassy Press Minister Golam Mortoza, Washington D.C.

SUSPECT ARRESTED, CHARGED WITH TWO COUNTS OF FIRST-DEGREE MURDER

Hisham Abugharbeh, an American national and Limon's roommate, was arrested on 24 April—the same day police recovered Limon's dismembered body near the Howard Frankland Bridge over Tampa Bay. He faces two counts of premeditated first-degree murder with a weapon. A Hillsborough County court denied bail on 28 April, remanding him to custody.

Court documents filed on 26 April stated that multiple stab wounds killed Limon. Investigators searching a waste site linked to the suspect found a blood-stained black floor mat, Bristy's phone cover, and Limon's wallet, glasses, and bloodied clothing. The suspect's vehicle had been recently cleaned, authorities said.

Bristy's remains were later recovered in fragments from a waterway adjacent to I-275 and Fourth Street North, according to police. DNA analysis confirmed a match with evidence found at the suspect's residence.

LIMON'S BODY TO BE FLOWN HOME; DIPLOMATIC EFFORTS UNDER WAY FOR BRISTY

The remains of Jamil Ahmed Limon are scheduled to depart Orlando International Airport on 2 May aboard an Emirates flight, with arrival in Dhaka via Dubai on 4 May. His body had already been handed over to a funeral home following a janaza (funeral prayer) held at the Islamic Society of Tampa Bay Area mosque on 30 April.

The funeral was attended by fellow USF students, Limon's maternal aunt, the Consul General of Bangladesh in Miami, members of the Bangladeshi diaspora community, and media representatives.

The Bangladesh Embassy in Washington and the Consulate in Miami have jointly initiated the diplomatic and logistical process for Bristy's repatriation. A timeline for the transfer has not yet been announced, pending completion of forensic and legal procedures.

GRIEF ACROSS TWO NATIONS

The killings have provoked an outpouring of grief in Bangladesh and among its overseas community. Solidarity vigils and human chains were held in New York and other cities with significant Bangladeshi populations, with demonstrators demanding justice and greater protection for international students in the United States.

Limon was a graduate of Khulna University, while Bristy had previously studied at Noakhali Science and Technology University — both accomplished students who had secured highly competitive doctoral positions in the United States.