27-year-old mother stabbed to death in Bradford while pushing baby in pram is named

A mother who was fatally stabbed while pushing her baby in a pram in Bradford has been named as 27-year-old Kulsuma Akter.

A national manhunt has been launched for suspect Habibur Masum, who is believed to have entered the UK on a student visa from Bangladesh.

It has since emerged that Greater Manchester Police approached the police watchdog IOPC about previous contact with the victim and Masum.

Masum was granted bail at Manchester Magistrates’ Court in November, despite prosecutors opposing his release.

Masum pleaded not guilty to both offenses at a hearing on November 27 last year and was ordered not to contact Ms Akter, it is understood.

His bail conditions also prevented him from contacting a second person or visiting a particular address.

Court documents show that Masum, whose address was listed as Oldham, Greater Manchester, was charged with threatening to kill Ms Akter on November 24 and assaulting her on November 23. Both offenses are said to have taken place in Manchester.

Officers hunting the alleged killer also arrested a 23-year-old man on suspicion of assisting an offender following raids on addresses in Burnley, Chester and Oldham.

Emergency services were called to the Westgate area of ​​the city center at 3.21pm on Saturday after receiving reports that a woman had been stabbed multiple times.

Despite their best efforts, Ms Akter was pronounced dead in hospital.

Speaking at a press conference on Monday afternoon, West Yorkshire Police Chief Constable Damien Miller said: “On Saturday 6th April shortly before 3.20pm, Kulsuma Akter was walking in Bradford city centre. .

“Kulsuma was with her young child at the time and was walking along Westgate when she was attacked and stabbed multiple times.”

“Emergency services were called at 3.21pm. However, despite the best efforts of members of the public, ambulance crews and hospital staff, Kulsuma succumbed to his injuries.

“Her child is safe and well and was not injured in this incident.”

CCTV quickly identified Masum as a suspect and the last confirmed sightings saw him boarding a bus on Market Street at 3.30pm before exiting at 3.42pm.

Recalling the horrific moment Ms Akter was stabbed, shopkeeper Geo Khan said: “I was sitting in my shop and I heard screams. I got out and tried to check for a pulse. There was no pulse.”

He said: “There was blood all over the floor and there were stab wounds to her neck.”

Mr Khan added that the woman who died had entered his shop the day before the incident and he believed she had only been in the area a few weeks ago.

He said: “She was a very, very innocent person – the smile on her face.”

According to his LinkedIn profile, Masum studied for a Masters in Marketing and Digital Marketing at the University of Bedfordshire between 2021 and 2023.

He reportedly received support from Samin’s UK Visa Help Desk to apply for a Schengen visa after approaching organizer Samin Ahmed in December.

Mr Ahmed said: “I (was) shocked when I heard this news, he is a well-known person near me. I didn’t know anything. I’m really shocked.”

A photo of Masum’s Schengen visa was posted on Samin’s UK Visa Support Center Facebook group, and social media footage shows he recently traveled to Barcelona.

It came as police hunting Masum carried out “a series of raids” in Burnley, Oldham and Chester.

Assistant Chief Constable Damien Miller added: “There are significant resources to carry out CCTV and house-to-house enquiries.

“And we also have local officers from Bradford carrying out increased patrols in the area, which I hope will be some reassurance for residents.

“With the support of other forces, we carried out a series of raids in the Burnley, Oldham and Chester areas in search of Masum and during the searches a 23-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender and is now in custody the police.”

He said Masum was last seen walking towards a park after getting off a bus.

“Masum is a thin Asian male and was last seen wearing a coat with three large horizontal stripes, gray sweatpants and brown trainers,” he said.

“He was caught on CCTV boarding a bus on Saturday.

“He was last seen walking in the direction of Bradford Moor Park, this is our last confirmed sighting of him.”