University of South Florida Awards Posthumous Doctoral Degrees to Two Bangladeshi Students

The University of South Florida has posthumously awarded doctoral degrees to two Bangladeshi students, Jamil Ahmed Limon and Nahida Sultana Brishti, who were killed in the United States.
The honors were presented during the university’s Spring 2026 commencement ceremony on Friday, May 8, local time.
A representative from the Bangladesh Consulate in Miami accepted the degrees on behalf of the families of Limon and Brishti during the ceremony.
According to university officials, the two Bangladeshi students were among nearly 8,000 graduates recognized during the Spring 2026 commencement events held from Thursday through Sunday.
At the beginning of the ceremony, attendees observed a one-minute moment of silence in memory of the two students. In addition, two empty chairs dressed in doctoral regalia were placed during the main doctoral degree presentation to honor them.
Jamil Ahmed Limon and Nahida Sultana Brishti were also included among the 393 recipients of doctoral degrees this year.
The two PhD students from the University of South Florida were reported missing on April 16. Eight days later, on April 24, police recovered Limon’s body. Brishti’s body was later identified through forensic testing on April 30.
Police have arrested Limon’s roommate, Hisham Abugherbih, in connection with the case. Court documents state that Limon was killed with multiple stab wounds inflicted by a sharp weapon. The suspect has been charged with two counts of premeditated first-degree murder.