US murder victim Brishty laid to rest in Madaripur

The body of Nahida Sultana Brishty, a Bangladeshi student of University of South Florida who was killed in the United States, was laid to rest at her ancestral village home in Madaripur on Saturday.

Brishty, daughter of Zahir Uddin Akon of Char Gobindapur village under Madaripur Sadar upazila, was buried beside the graves of her grandparents after her namaz-e-janaza was held after Asr prayers at the village.

Her dismembered body was brought to her village home in the afternoon after arriving at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka at 9:10 AM on Saturday via an Emirates flight.

Mourners gathered in large numbers to get a final glimpse of Brishty, including her childhood friends and relatives, creating an emotional and sorrowful atmosphere. They also demanded exemplary punishment for those responsible for her killing.

According to the family members, Brishty had gone to the United States seven months ago after completing her studies at Noakhali Science and Technology University, with plans to pursue higher education at the University of South Florida.

Brishty and her fellow student Jamil Ahmed Limon went missing on April 16. A missing diary was filed after the incident, prompting an investigation by US authorities.

After eight days, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office confirmed Limon’s death on April 24. His body was later recovered from the Howard Frankland Bridge area in Tampa Bay.

Two days later, another body was recovered from a nearby location, which US authorities later confirmed to be Brishty’s.

Brishty’s cousin Jabin Mariam said it was difficult to accept that a cheerful young woman had been killed in such a manner in the United States and demanded justice.

Her father, Zahir Uddin Akon, said Brishty was supposed to return home in July after completing her studies, but instead her body returned.

Madaripur Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Wadiba Shaba described the killing as a loss of national talent and called for a swift investigation and punishment for the perpetrators.

AM