Two USF doctoral students from Bangladesh vanish in Tampa, police search intensifies

Two University of South Florida doctoral students from Bangladesh have vanished from Tampa, and detectives are now treating the case as an active missing-person search centered on Zamil Limon and Nahida Bristy.

USF police issued a public appeal on April 21 asking for help locating the pair, both 27 and both doctoral students. Investigators said Limon was last seen around 9 a.m. on April 16 at his residence in Tampa. Bristy was last seen about an hour later at the Natural and Environmental Sciences Building on the USF Tampa campus. That split location has sharpened the mystery around the case, because the two disappearances appear to have unfolded separately even though the timing was close.

A family friend contacted the University of South Florida Police Department on April 17 at about 4:50 p.m. after relatives could not reach either student. By then, police said both phones were off. The students have since been added to state and national missing-person databases, while detectives with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office have been following leads and searching in multiple locations, including Hillsborough and Pinellas counties.

Authorities have said they believe the two friends may be together, but they have not publicly identified a suspect or pointed to a confirmed destination. Police also said the students are not being held by ICE, addressing a concern raised by family members. At this stage, investigators have not said there were signs of foul play, but they continue to widen the search beyond the university community.

Limon was studying geography, environmental science and policy, with research focused on using generative AI to study Florida’s shrinking wetlands. CBS News reported that he was scheduled to present his doctoral thesis that week. Bristy was studying chemical engineering. A friend told CBS News that Limon had marked on a shared Outlook calendar that he planned to work from home the day he and Bristy disappeared, a detail that could help investigators piece together their last known movements. CBS News also reported that the pair had flights booked to travel to Bangladesh for summer break.

Family members described both students as responsible and punctual, and said missing class for several days was out of character. Loved ones also said Bristy usually stayed in daily contact, making the silence more alarming. Investigators are asking anyone who saw Limon, Bristy, their vehicles, or anyone with them on April 16 to contact police immediately as the search continues across Tampa and surrounding counties.