Nahida Sultana Bristy, one of two Bangladeshi doctoral students at the University of South Florida who were murdered in the United States, has begun her final journey home in a coffin.

An Emirates flight carrying her mortal remains departed from Orlando International Airport in Florida at 8:50pm local time yesterday (7 May). The flight will transit through Dubai. From there, flight EK 0582 is scheduled to land at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka at 8:40am tomorrow.

A representative of the Bangladesh Consulate in Miami was present at Orlando airport and oversaw the repatriation process, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said last night.

Since 16 April, two days after the disappearance of Bristy and another Bangladeshi student, Zamil Ahamed Limon, the Bangladesh Consulate in Miami, under the directives of the Bangladesh Embassy in Washington DC, has remained in constant contact with the investigating police, university authorities and members of the Bangladeshi community in Tampa, it said.

The relevant local police department also worked in coordination to complete all necessary legal formalities and ensure the earliest possible repatriation of the body, the ministry added.

The embassy has also been in contact with the US Department of State and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Following the advice of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the embassy completed the entire process related to sending the body to Bangladesh.

Earlier, a namaz-e-janaza for Bristy was held in Tampa, Florida, on Wednesday (6 May).

Many students and teachers from the University of South Florida, along with members of the Bangladeshi community, attended it.

Meanwhile, Limon was laid to rest in Madarganj upazila of Jamalpur on 4 May. His body had reached the country earlier on the same day.

Limon and Bristy, both 27-year-old doctoral students from Bangladesh, disappeared on 16 April. Limon was last seen at the off-campus complex where he shared an apartment with murder suspect Hisham Abugharbieh, 26, and another roommate.

Detectives used cellphone location and licence plate reader data to track Abugharbieh’s car and Limon’s phone to the bridge where Limon’s body was found on 24 April.

Limon had numerous stab wounds and appeared to be bound, according to a report filed by prosecutors.

On 1 May, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the identification of the second body as Bristy’s.

Meanwhile, the suspect was arrested days after the incident by a SWAT team at his parents’ home. A court ordered that he be held without bond.