Two Bangladeshi PhD students missing for a week in Florida

Two Bangladeshi PhD students at University of South Florida have been missing for nearly a week, prompting an ongoing search by local authorities in the US state of Florida.

The missing students, Jamil Limon and Nahida S. Brishti, both 27, were last seen on April 16 in Tampa, according to the university’s police department, which publicly confirmed their disappearance on Tuesday.

Jamil is pursuing a PhD in geography, environment and policy, while Nahida is a doctoral student in chemical engineering.

Police said Jamil was last seen around 9:00am at a student residence near the campus, while Nahida was last spotted around 10:00am at the university’s Natural and Environmental Sciences building.

A family friend reported them missing to authorities on Friday afternoon after failing to reach them. Subsequently, missing persons reports were filed, and their details were entered into state and national databases.

The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office is currently leading the search operation. Authorities have confirmed the two students are not in the custody of US. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Police have not disclosed further details, citing the ongoing investigation, and have urged anyone with information about the missing students to come forward.

University officials have also expressed concern over the incident.