Bradford murder: Police name victim as search for Habibur Masum continues

Police have named a young mother who was stabbed to death on a street in Bradford as the manhunt for her suspected killer continues.

Kulsuma Akter, 27, suffered multiple stab wounds in a daylight attack on Westgate as she walked her five-month-old baby in a pram on Saturday afternoon. The child was unharmed.

Police are continuing to search for 25-year-old suspect Habibur Masum, who is known to Ms Akter.

Both Masum and Ms Akter lived in Oldham. He has links to Burnley and Chester.

At a press conference on Monday, assistant chief constable Damien Miller said: "Saturday's incident has understandably caused a great deal of shock and concern not only in Bradford but across the country."

He said significant resources were being committed to finding Masum.

"We are doing everything in our power to locate him," he said.

Masum was last seen getting on a bus on Market Street in Bradford at around 3.30pm. He got off on Killinghall Road about 10 minutes later, but has not been seen since.

Police have released CCTV footage of him walking along Killinghall Road.

Mr Miller said raids had been carried out in Oldham, Burnley and Chester and a 23-year-old man had been arrested in Cheshire on suspicion of assisting an offender.

He appealed to taxi drivers who may have picked Masum up to contact police and warned the public not to approach him.

He said Masum was known to another police force, but would not provide further details.

In a direct appeal to the suspect he said: "I would encourage Masum to contact us and hand himself in immediately."

Both West Yorkshire and Greater Manchester Police have referred themselves to the Independent Office for Police Conduct because of previous contact with Masum and Ms Akter.

Det Ch Insp Stacey Atkinson, of West Yorkshire Police’s Homicide and Enquiry Team, said: "This is an absolutely tragic incident in which a mother has lost her life in the most horrific of circumstances."She added: "We understand that this has caused a considerable amount of concern in the local community. local neighbourhood policing teams are patrolling the area conducting reassurance to the community."

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