A leading tech entrepreneur of international ride-sharing companies has been found dead in New York.

The body of Fahim Saleh was found dismembered in a flat on Monday afternoon, US media reports say.

The entrepreneur was best known for his role in creating popular start-ups in Nigeria and Bangladesh.

Police have not publicly commented on the case or any identity but Gokada, one of the firms Saleh co-founded, tweeted to confirm his death.

We are deeply saddened to inform you about the sudden and tragic loss of our founder and CEO, Fahim Saleh,

the firm said on Wednesday.

According to US media reports, CCTV footage from the building in which Saleh lived showed him entering a lift with a man wearing a mask on Monday.

His body was reportedly discovered decapitated and dismembered, with an electric saw placed nearby.

An unnamed source in law enforcement told the New York Post the crime scene looked like a “professional” killing.
Who was Fahim Saleh?

The 33 year old, who was the son of Bangladeshi immigrants, created his first company while still in high school.

He went on to co-found the ride company, Pathao, which is popular in Bangladesh and Nepal, in 2015.

More recently he helped found Nigerian motorbike taxi app Gokada, but the company faced a setback after authorities in Lagos banned motorbike taxis earlier this year.

Both companies have paid tribute to the entrepreneur.

Gokada described Saleh as

a great leader, inspiration and positive light for all of us

in its tweet.

Hussein M Elius, who co-founded Pathao with Saleh, told Bangladesh’s Daily Star newspaper:

Fahim believed in the potential for technology to transform lives in Bangladesh and beyond.

He saw the promise in us when all we had was a common purpose and a shared vision. He was, and will forever remain, an incredible inspiration for Pathao and our entire ecosystem.

Justin Nwosu

Justin Nwosu is the founder and publisher of Flavision. His core interest is in writing unbiased news about Nigeria in particular and Africa in general. He’s a strong adherent of investigative journalism, with a bent on exposing corruption, abuse of power and societal ills.