The body of Nidhuya Muktadir, a 19-year-old Bangladeshi-origin student in Canada, was discovered along the shores of Lake Erie at Port Bruce Beach, Toronto. Ontario Provincial Police confirmed the recovery on Tuesday, January 7, after a Canadian citizen spotted the body on Saturday, January 4, at Waneta Beach and alerted authorities.

Nidhuya, the daughter of Bangladeshi writer and presenter Samina Nasrin Chowdhury, was a second-year nursing student at Fanshawe College in Canada. She lived with her mother in Scarborough’s Crescent Town neighborhood. She had been missing since December 4, when she disappeared from Hawk Cliff Road, located about five kilometers northeast of Port Stanley. Despite extensive search efforts involving police divers and drones, no trace of her was found until the discovery of her body last Saturday.

Ontario Provincial Police stated that no visible signs of foul play were observed on Nidhuya’s body. However, investigations are ongoing to determine the exact cause of her death.

Speaking about the tragedy, Nidhuya’s brother, Abraham Muktadir, said, “The police have found my sister’s body. My family is going through an incredibly difficult time. She was courageous and strong-willed. Losing her has left us devastated.”

Her mother, Samina Nasrin Chowdhury, expressed her grief, recalling her last conversation with Nidhuya on November 29. “I feel like I’m trapped in a nightmare and will wake up to find everything back to normal, that my daughter is still alive. I only want my daughter back; I have no other wish,” she said.

Nidhuya’s death has shocked the community, leaving her family and friends grappling with the loss while police continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding her disappearance and tragic death.