What happened to Nahida S. Bristi? Brother of missing Florida student says ‘my sister is no longer with us’
brother Nahida S. BristiA PhD student reported missing in the United States has shared a statement saying his sister is “no longer with us.” a man named Hisham Saleh Abu Habi His roommate faces charges Zamir LimonThe University of South Florida doctoral student was found dead after going missing with Bristi. According to NBC News, law enforcement said Abuhabiya was arrested after a domestic violence incident at his residence on Friday, April 24.
Limon and Bristi, two doctoral students at the school, were both reported missing, the school police department said in a statement. The two 27-year-old men from Bangladesh were last seen about a week ago.
Limon’s body was found Friday morning on the Howard Frankland Bridge in Tampa, Florida, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release. An autopsy is ongoing to determine the cause of death.
What happened to Nahida S. Bristi?
While there were recent reports that Bristi was still missing and the investigation was ongoing, her brother Zahid Hassan Plantor posted on Facebook that “my sister is no longer with us.”
Three days ago, Planto urged people online not to spread “misleading information” about his sister in a post.
“My sister, a graduate student at the University of South Florida (Fall 2025), has been missing since Thursday around 12:30 noon (local time in Tampa). Since then, there has been no confirmation or reliable information on her location. Her cell phone was turned off around 5:00 p.m. and there has been no further trace,” Planto wrote. “The USF Police Department is actively investigating, but there are currently no confirmed leads. We have also confirmed that another person in her circle is missing, but have no verified information on their whereabouts.”
“To date, the U.S. BD Embassy has confirmed that they are not detained by ICE,” he added. “Our family is going through an extremely painful and distressing time. We urgently ask that everyone stop spreading unsubstantiated information, rumors or speculation. False narratives are not only harmful, but they also make our situation more difficult. Please do not publicly share speculation, theories or unsubstantiated tips. We are deeply grateful to those who have shown genuine concern and support. We will only provide updates when we have confirmed information. We ask for your compassion, respect and privacy as we are completely focused on finding her.”
Chief Deputy Joseph Maurer said Abuhabiya faces charges of domestic violence, simple battery, false imprisonment, tampering with evidence, failure to report a death and unlawful possession or removal of a corpse.
Bristi, a chemical engineering student, was last seen at 10 a.m. on April 16 at the Natural and Environmental Sciences Building on the USF Tampa campus, police said. The U.S. Marshals Service handled her missing persons report.
Planto, 29, told NBC News the two students had been in a relationship in the past. However, they are not actively dating.
Just before 5pm on Friday, a family friend reported that they were unable to reach Limon and Bristi. That sparked a missing persons report, and police later entered both Limon and Bristi into a missing persons database.
