DHAKA, Bangladesh - The bodies of two Emory University students killed in a terror attack on an upscale restaurant in Bangladesh will be flown back to their home countries on Monday.
University officials identified the victims Saturday as undergraduates Abinta Kabir and Faraaz Hossain.
Kabir, a Miami native, was a rising sophomore at Emory's Oxford College. Faraaz, who was from Dhaka, was a 2016 graduate of Oxford College and headed to Emory's Goizueta Business School in the fall.
Anisha Pal, who knew both victims, told FOX 5 they volunteered with a student activity group as well as the Bengal Association for Students at Emory.
"I just can't wrap over my head that two great souls are gone because I know them both," Pal said. "They were very good people and they're just not here with us anymore."
Pal said she learned of her friends' deaths via an email issued by the school.
"One second they are there, and the next second, they are not there," Pal added.
Several other friends told FOX 5 the students were in Bangladesh to visit relatives for the summer.
A Bangladesh-based friend of Kabir, who didn't want to be identified due to safety reasons, said Kabir loved basketball was her mother's only daughter. Other friends told FOX 5 Kabir's family owns a chain of stores in Bangladesh. As for Faraaz, they said his family owns a large business corporation in the country.
Both victims were remembered as smart and kind individuals.
Emory University President James Wagner said that he had been in contact with Kabir's mother, who he describes as being in "unspeakable pain" as a result of her daughter's death. Wagner called on employees to offer thoughts and prayers to Kabir's mother and other family members.
Kabir was the granddaughter of the chair of the Athena Gallery of Fine Arts in AJ Heights Dhaka.
In a statement released by the Bengal Association for Students at Emory -
"In light of such a tragedy we can only hope to come together to honour the victims and their families. Please consider joining us at a vigil this Thursday, July 7th, at 1pm in the Canon Chapel at Emory University's Atlanta campus to honour our beloved Faraaz and Abinta as well as all of the other victims of the horrific Dhaka attack. If you are unable to attend we hope that you will continue to keep them in your thoughts and prayers."
In a statement released by Emory University:
"Abinta Kabir, an Emory University undergraduate student at the Oxford College campus, was among those taken hostage and murdered by terrorists yesterday in the attack in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Abinta, who is from Miami, Florida, was in Dhaka visiting family and friends.
The Emory community mourns this tragic and senseless loss of one of our university family. Our thoughts and prayers go out on behalf of Abinta and her family and friends for strength and peace at this unspeakably sad time.
In the wake of this terrible loss, the university is offering support to members of our community through counseling services."
Twenty-eight people were killed in the attack.