Bradford murder: Police name woman stabbed to death in Bradford street as man arrested

Kulsama Akter died after being stabbed to death in the street in Bradford on Saturday (Apr 6) police said.

West Yorkshire Police also said it has arrested a 23-year-old man on suspicion of assisting an offender as officers continue to hunt Habibur Masum, 25, in connection with the fatal stabbing.

Police said she was stabbed multiple times as she walked down the street with her baby in a press conference on Monday (Apr 8).

West Yorkshire Police Officer Assistant Chief Constable Damien Miller said: “On Saturday April 6, shortly before 3:20pm Kulsama Akter was walking in Bradford city centre. Kulsama was with her young baby at this time, and was walking along Westgate when she was attacked and stabbed multiple times.

“The emergency services were called at 3:21pm. However, despite the best efforts of members of the public, ambulance crews, and hospital staff, Kulsama sadly lost her life due to the injuries. Her baby is safe and well and was not harmed in this incident.”

He said have conducted “a number of raids” in Burnley, Oldham, and Chester.

ACC Miller added: “There is significant resources conducting CCTV and house-to-house inquiries. And we also have local Bradford officers carrying out increased patrols in the area, which I hope will be of some reassurance to residents.

“With the support of other forces we’ve conducted a number of raids in the Burnley and Oldham and Chester areas in the search for Masum, and during the searches a 23-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender and is now in police custody.”

Greater Manchester Police said it has referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) over previous contact with Bradford stabbing victim Kulsama Akter and suspect Habibur Masum.

Detective Superintendent Jude Holmes from GMP Oldham district said: “We share the shock and concern that our communities feel in the wake of this tragic incident, and our thoughts are with Kulsama Akter’s family at this truly distressing time.

“Habibur Masum is wanted by West Yorkshire Police on suspicion of murder. Due to his links to Greater Manchester, we have our specialist officers following several lines of enquiry to locate him. I urge members of the public to remain vigilant, and if you have any information on his whereabouts, call 999 as a matter of urgency.

“Due to previous police contact with Habibur Masum and Kulsama Akter, Greater Manchester Police has made a referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.”

Meanwhile, a shopkeeper who tried to help the woman has described how there was nothing that could be done to save her life.

Geo Khan recalled his shock at what he witnessed when he was sitting in his store on Saturday afternoon. He was alerted by screams on the other side of Westgate, in central Bradford. He said he rushed over to the woman, who was with a friend outside a convenience store on Wigan Street, and was joined by a doctor as others called the ambulance.

"I was sitting in my shop and heard screaming," Mr Khan said. "I came out and I tried to check the pulse. There was no pulse. Blood was all over on the floor and there were stab wounds in her neck."

Mr Khan said he was joined by the passing doctor who took over trying to help the woman, but agreed there was no pulse.

"Him and me and another guy tried to rescue her, but she was already gone," Mr Khan said. "I don't think she was there any more. Whatever happened, it's a very sad thing."

Mr Khan said the woman who died came into his shop the day before the incident, and he believes she only came to the area a few weeks ago. He said the baby is about four or five months old. Mr Khan said he believes the woman is from Bangladesh.

He said: "She was a very, very innocent person - the smile on her face."

Samin Ahmed runs Samin's UK Visas Support Centre, and helped Masum apply for a Schengen visa to visit Europe after he approached him in December. Mr Ahmed said Masum was in the UK on a student visa and later a post-graduate visa after he obtained his degree. According to his LinkedIn profile, Masum studied for a masters in marketing and digital marketing at the University of Bedfordshire between 2021 and 2023.

Mr Ahmed said: "I (was) shocked when I heard this news, he is a familiar person nearby me. I did not know anything. I am really shocked."

A photograph of Masum's Schengen visa was posted to the Samin's UK Visas Support Centre Facebook group in January. He said Masum appeared "friendly" and "said that he is happy" when they last spoke one month ago. Masum travelled to Barcelona after he was granted the Schengen visa, he added.

West Yorkshire Police has issued an appeal for members of the public to report any sightings of Masum, who is from the Oldham area and is known to the woman. The force said officers were called to the scene at 3.21pm on Saturday after reports of a woman being stabbed by a man who then fled, and she later died in hospital.

She is yet to be formally identified, but is understood to be 27 years old, the force said. The baby was not harmed. A knife was recovered from the scene of the incident, the force said.

Whitehall officials would not comment on the immigration status of Masum during the ongoing manhunt.

But Downing Street said Rishi Sunak's thoughts are with the family of the victim following the "horrendous incident".

The Prime Minister's official spokesman said: "I can't comment more broadly on an ongoing police investigation, but obviously it is being looked at urgently and we will support the police in their efforts to catch the perpetrator and bring them to justice."

A Home Office spokesman said: "Saturday's attack on a young woman was appalling, and our thoughts are with her family and loved ones. We urge the public to support West Yorkshire Police's appeal and to come forward if they have any information. While a live investigation is ongoing, it would be inappropriate to comment further."

Masum is described as an Asian man, of slim build.

He was pictured on CCTV wearing a duffle coat with three large horizontal lines of grey, white and black, light blue or grey tracksuit bottoms with a small black emblem on the left pocket and maroon trainers. A witness also reported seeing him wearing a grey hoodie with the hood up.

He is believed to have links to the Burnley and Chester areas.

There was no sign of any police activity in the area on Monday morning but one bunch of flowers had been laid close to where the attack happened.

Any current sightings of Masum should be reported to West Yorkshire Police via 999. Any other information that could assist the investigation should be reported via Live Chat online or by calling 101, quoting log 1071 of April 6.