Two University of South Florida doctoral students from Bangladesh vanished within an hour of each other last week – and school officials say they are “very concerned” as police confirmed they are not being held by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Zamil Limon and Nahida S. Bristy, both 27, were last seen April 16 in Tampa, according to the University of South Florida Police Department.
Limon was last seen around 9 a.m. at his student apartment on Avalon Heights Boulevard, near the college, while Bristy was last seen around 10 a.m. at the Natural and Environmental Sciences Building on campus.
A family friend reported both missing at 5 p.m. the following day after being unable to reach either student, triggering separate missing persons reports and a wider search involving the police department and Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. Both students have since been entered into state and national missing persons databases.
“Everybody internally is obviously very concerned, as we are concerned,” USF Public Safety Public Information Officer Larry McKinnon told FOX13. “It's not typical of their behavior, they're graduate students. We don’t have information that there is foul play or suspicious nature at this point.”
Investigators say the pair are friends and are believed to be together. They also noted that both of their phones are turned off. Details about surveillance footage, social media use, and bank statements or credit card use were not released.
Their disappearance is concerning to police because according to their families, both are dedicated students working on their doctorates, and missing several days of classes is highly unusual for them. Limon is pursuing a Ph.D. in geography, environmental science and policy, while Bristy is studying chemical engineering.
Investigators have confirmed that the pair are not in immigration custody, a concern raised by family members. But after exhausting all leads, law enforcement are turning to the public for help.
“When we get to this point where we aren’t having success in locating them, then our next best source is the public,” McKinnon said. “That’s where we are at.”
In Bangladesh, Limon’s family is grappling with the uncertainty. “He is a very responsible and punctual person, and that’s why the situation is so unpredictable and unusual to us… like, and very suspicious,” his younger brother, Zubaer Ahmed, told FOX13.
Ahmed said he last spoke with Limon on the Monday before he disappeared. Limon told his brother that he was focused on his thesis research, which involves using generative AI to study Florida’s shrinking wetlands.
“We’re in deep pain and [a] devastating situation,” Ahmed said. He explained that Limon, who had been studying in the U.S. for two years, and Bristy had discussed a possible future together.
“Another important point that is they talked about having a future together, but they are not that serious about it,” Ahmed said. “Both of them are thinking about, whether we can marry together, and they are discussing that.”
Investigators say the circumstances surrounding the pair’s disappearance remain unknown, and urged anyone with information to come forward and contact USFPD at (813) 974-2628.
“Everybody’s hoping for a positive outcome on this,” McKinnon added. “And that’s why we’re taking it very seriously and making sure we leave no stones unturned to try to find them.”
