TDS Desk:

A US court has denied bail to Hisham Saleh Abugharbieh, who was arrested on suspicion of killing two Bangladeshi PhD students at the University of South Florida—Jamil Ahmed Limon and Nahida Sultana Brishti—and ordered him to remain in custody, reports Tampa Bay 28.

Hillsborough County Judge Logan Murphy passed the order on Tuesday.

During the brief hearing, the judge also instructed the accused not to contact any witnesses or the victims’ families.

According to court documents, Abugharbieh faces two counts of first-degree murder, along with weapons-related and other charges. If convicted, he could face the death penalty, although prosecutors have not yet confirmed whether they will seek capital punishment.

The accused was not present at the hearing.

Public Defender Jennifer Spradley said on Monday that her office would not comment on the case.

Meanwhile, local media reported that the incident has sparked concern among students at the University of South Florida’s Tampa campus. Many students expressed grief over the deaths of their classmates and raised concerns about safety, particularly those living off campus.