USF Police Search for Missing Bangladeshi PhD Students

Tampa, Florida authorities are searching for two 27-year-old doctoral students from Bangladesh who have been missing since April 16, prompting a public appeal from the University of South Florida Police Department and the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.

Zamil Limon and Nahida S. Bristy were last seen on the USF campus in Tampa that Thursday morning. Limon, pursuing a PhD in geography, environmental science and policy, was spotted around 9 a.m. at his residence on Avalon Heights Boulevard. Bristy, a chemical engineering doctoral candidate, was observed about an hour later at the NES Building on campus. A family friend reported them missing the following day at approximately 4:50 p.m. after failing to reach them, leading police to enter both individuals into national missing persons databases. Their phones have been off, and there has been no confirmed contact since.

Investigators believe the pair, who are a couple, may be together. Friends and family have described the disappearance as highly unusual, noting that both students are responsible and punctual. Limon had been in the United States for two years and was planning his first trip home to Bangladesh in July. In a...