Shahriar Ahmed Emon, 22, hailed from Lochanpur village in Raipura upazila of Narsingdi district.

He was the eldest son of Nasir Mia, a Bangladeshi expatriate living in Greece.

Following in his father's footsteps, Shahriar decided to pursue his dreams abroad, travelling to Cyprus for higher studies.

Instead, he was found dead in a forest in Larnaca district – a place where murders are rare.

In connection with the case, Cyprus police arrested a 22-year-old Bangladeshi national, identified by local media as Shahin Babu.

The suspect confessed to the killing, according to Cyprus daily Philenews on June 22.

He is scheduled to be produced before the Larnaca District Court on Tuesday for the issuance of a detention order.

The victim had reportedly been missing since 6:30pm on June 11.

His body was found in an area approximately 500 metres from the Kofinou Reception Center.

From dream to dust

According to family members, Shahriar travelled to Cyprus about three months ago on a student visa.

He had been living in the Oroklini area of Larnaca and was sharing accommodation with another Bangladeshi.

His family said Shahriar had been looking for a job to ease their financial burden, as they had been sending him Tk50,000 to Tk60,000 each month to cover his expenses.

On June 11, Shahriar told his mother that he had secured a job and would begin work that night, local media quoted his parents as saying.

He also shared the news with his father and his roommate, Raihan, who asked him to send his live location upon arrival.

At around 9pm, Shahriar sent his location to Raihan via WhatsApp, who replied, "OK."

However, according to the family, Shahriar never viewed the message.

About an hour later, a message was sent from Shahriar's WhatsApp account to his father, claiming that he had been kidnapped and demanding a ransom of €35,000 for his release.

The message threatened to sell Shahriar's eyes and kidneys if the money was not paid.

Initially, family members suspected that Shahriar's WhatsApp account had been hacked.

However, when he did not return from work the following day, Raihan filed a missing person's report with the local police.

The family said Shahriar's WhatsApp account remained active, and ransom demands continued for several days.

Shahriar's younger brother, Nayan Ahmed, said the family eventually agreed to negotiate with the kidnappers and settled on a ransom amount equivalent to Tk5 lakh.

"On Sunday, we went to the bank to send the money. We wanted to speak to my brother first using his phone, which was with the kidnappers. But their behaviour and responses made us suspicious, and we decided not to transfer the money," said Nayan.

Later that night, the family learned that Cyprus police had arrested a Bangladeshi national in connection with the incident.

According to family members, police recovered Shahriar's body from a forest based on information provided by the suspect.

Investigators also recovered a knife believed to have been used in the killing.

The family said Cyprus police have not disclosed the suspect's home district in Bangladesh.

The confession

Cyprus daily Philenews reported that the arrestee confessed to driving Shahriar from Oroklini, where he lived, to Kofinou before murdering him the same evening by stabbing him in the neck and back.

He then covered the body with grass, took the victim's mobile phone, and used it to send ransom messages to the family.

In his statement, the suspect said he had met Shahriar on a bus five days earlier and that something the 22-year-old had said offended him.

According to investigators, he later offered Shahriar a job with the intention of killing him.

The suspect subsequently led investigators to the spot where he had buried Shahriar's body and pointed out the alleged murder weapon as well as the location where he had hidden the victim's personal belongings.

The body was found in an advanced state of decomposition.

In addition to the knife wounds, the body also bore signs of strangulation, according to reports.

At first glance, investigators believe the motive was financial, as stated on Sunday by the head of the Larnaca TAE, Giorgos Charalambous.

According to Cyprus police, messages posted online allegedly related to the student's kidnapping were also under scrutiny.

In those messages, unidentified individuals allegedly demanded a ransom, asking for €10,000 on Sunday and €25,000 on Monday.

Back in Bangladesh, Raipura Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Md Masud Rana said he had been informed that a Bangladeshi man had been arrested on allegations of abduction and murder.

"However, we have not yet received any official communication from the Cyprus Embassy regarding the matter, nor has the victim's family contacted us for assistance," he said.

"If the family seeks support, necessary measures will be taken through the ministry concerned."