FROM PAGE 12

The 27-year-old was laid to rest at his family graveyard after his Namaz-e-Janaza following Maghrib prayers.

Earlier in the day, his body reached Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka around 8:40am.

“I raised my son with so much care. I never imagined my son would die this way,” Limon’s father told reporters at the airport.

“Only the Almighty knows what pain he went through,” he struggled to continue.

Limon’s uncle Ziaul said the family demands justice from both the Bangladesh and US governments.

At the airport, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam received the body on behalf of the government and handed it over to Limon’s family.

At the time, she said the foreign ministry has been maintaining communications with US authorities to ensure a proper investigation into the double murder.

She expressed hope that the US authorities would complete a fair and thorough investigation and ensure punishment for those responsible.

The state minister also assured the families of the two deceased students of the government’s continued support as per directives from the prime minister.

Though Limon’s ancestral home is in Laldoba, he grew up in the Mawna area of Gazipur. A meritorious student, he passed SSC from Mawna Model High School and HSC from Birsreshtha Munshi Abdur Rouf Public College.

Completing his undergraduate studies at Khulna University, he moved to America to pursue a PhD in geography, environmental science and policy at the University of South Florida in 2024.

Limon and another Bangladeshi student, Nahida Sultana Brishti, 27, went missing in Florida on April 16. A friend later informed the university authorities.

According to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, Limon’s body was recovered on April 24 near the Howard Frankland Bridge area following the interrogation of a suspect. The body bore multiple stab wounds and was found dismembered inside black garbage bags.

Two days later, on April 26, fishermen spotted a black polythene bag while kayaking in a nearby mangrove area. Police later recovered dismembered human remains from the scene. At a press conference on April 30, authorities confirmed the remains belonged to Brishti.

In connection with the killings, Limon’s roommate, US citizen Hisham Abugharbeh, has been arrested.

Limon’s father said they still did not know why his son was killed, adding that most of what they have learnt has come from media reports.

Before his body was flown to Bangladesh, funeral prayers were held in the Tampa Bay area, attended by students of the University of South Florida and members of the Bangladeshi community.

Meanwhile, efforts are underway to bring back Brishti’s body. Officials said it is currently under the care of a funeral home, with plans to send it to Bangladesh on May 7. Her funeral prayers are slated for May 6 in Florida.