Their loss is being felt far from the Tampa Bay area. Both students had planned to travel to Bangladesh over their summer break.<\/p>\n
Investigators called Bristy\u2019s family in Bangladesh to say they believed she may be dead, based on the amount of blood found in Limon and the suspect\u2019s shared apartment, Bristy\u2019s brother told CNN affiliate WTSP<\/a>. CNN has reached out to her brother and the sheriff\u2019s office for details.<\/p>\n Limon\u2019s family told CNN they were anxiously waiting to learn what happened to the joyful, young researcher.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s devastating for us,\u201d Ahmed told CNN before his brother\u2019s body was found Friday. \u201cWe are in deep pain.\u201d<\/p>\n Limon and Bristy were among the more than 17,000 Bangladeshi students \u2014 an all-time high \u2014 enrolled in US institutions, according to the US Embassy in Bangladesh<\/a>, citing the 2024 Open Doors Report on International Education Exchange.<\/p>\n \u201cPlease keep my beloved brother in your prayers,\u201d Ahmed told CNN Saturday via text message.<\/p>\n Limon was dedicated to his environmental studies<\/p>\n Limon had been working on his thesis for the past two years, studying the uses of generative AI to monitor shrinking wetlands in South Florida, his brother said.<\/p>\n \u201cMy brother is very decent and a very simple person,\u201d Ahmed said from Bangladesh. \u201cHe always put a smile on his face.\u201d<\/p>\n He had been pursuing a degree in geography, environmental science and policy since the fall of 2024.<\/p>\n After completing his PhD, Limon hoped to return to Bangladesh and get a job as a university professor, Ahmed said.<\/p>\n Photo of Zamil Limon, 27, one of the students from University of South Florida who was reported missing last week. – Family of Zamil Limon<\/p>\n \u201cI study how natural features evolve across landscapes, with a focus on wetlands, water resources, and vegetation in both agricultural and urban environments,\u201d Limon wrote in his student profile.<\/a> His goal was \u201cto create practical tools that enhance environmental planning, support sustainable land use, and improve long-term ecosystem management.\u201d<\/p>\n His LinkedIn page said he worked as a graduate student assistant since August 2024, and his experience included stints with the Center for Natural Resource Studies, the Center for Environment and Geographic Information Services and as a junior urban planner in Dhaka. He also studied urban and rural planning at Khulna University, a public research institution in Bangladesh.<\/p>\n Omer Hossain, Limon\u2019s friend and fellow student at USF, remembers him as a \u201cchill guy\u201d who was \u201calways jolly.\u201d<\/p>\n The two became best friends after a professor connected the two through email in the fall of 2024, Hossain said.<\/p>\n Later, Hossain met Bristy, who he described as an outgoing and kind person who would always include others.<\/p>\n Hossain says he has been in contact with Limon\u2019s family to discuss next steps on returning his body to Bangladesh.<\/p>\n \u201cThe feeling is not describable for us. It\u2019s very unexpected and shocking,\u201d Hossain said. \u201cOur hearts are broken.\u201d<\/p>\n Bristy was \u2018passionate about learning new technology\u2019 Undated photo posted on Facebook by Nahida Bristy on January 9, 2026. The photo was shared in a condolence message posted by the Vice-Chancellor of Noakhali Science and Technology University. Bristy earned her undergraduate degree from the school. – Facebook\/Nahida Bristy<\/p>\n Bristy was a doctoral student of chemical engineering at USF. She had a master\u2019s of engineering from the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology and a bachelor\u2019s of science in applied chemistry and chemical engineering from the Noakhali Science and Technology University in Bangladesh, according to her LinkedIn profile<\/a>.<\/p>\n She was a \u201ctalented and promising student,\u201d Professor Mohammad Ismail, the NSTU vice chancellor, said in a post on social media <\/a>and the university website.<\/p>\n \u201cHer untimely death is an irreparable loss to the university and the nation,\u201d Ismail wrote.<\/p>\n A Facebook post from her brother, Zahid Hasan, said: \u201cMy sister is no longer with us.\u201d<\/p>\n Her LinkedIn profile described Bristy as \u201cself driven\u201d and \u201cskilled at problem solving, lab work and passionate about learning new technology.\u201d<\/p>\n Limon had spoken highly of Bristy to his family in Bangladesh, according to his brother.<\/p>\n \u201cHe shared that she is a good girl, and she has a lot of talent, like she can sing and cook well,\u201d Ahmed said.<\/p>\n Limon\u2019s family has been anxiously following updates.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are becoming numb,\u201d Ahmed said. \u201cAnything could be possible. We just want to know the truth or what happened to them. It\u2019s not possible that two students disappear out of nowhere.\u201d<\/p>\n CNN\u2019s Rebekah Riess and Nic F. Anderson contributed to this report.<\/p>\n![\"Photo](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/445c2fb34fe657388499dded07572f9f.jpeg\"\/)
<\/p>\n![\"Undated](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/c140d446558876cd4bbe3e89c9211fa3.jpeg\"\/)
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