THE man being hunted over the murder of a mum in the street was facing trial for threatening to kill her, The Sun can reveal.
Habibur Masum is accused of making the threats against Kulsuma Akter, 27, a day after he allegedly attacked her.
He was given bail ahead of his trial later this year and was barred from having any contact with her.
But on Saturday he travelled by train and taxi from his home in Oldham, Greater Manchester, to the area where she was now living in a women’s refuge in Bradford.
Blood was all over on the floor and there were stab wounds in her neck.
Geo Khan
After chatting to her in the street for five minutes – as she pushed her baby son in a pram – he pulled out a knife and allegedly stabbed her in the neck around five times.
West Yorkshire’s Assistant Chief Constable Damien Miller today urged Masum, 25, to give himself up as he revealed a 23-year-old has been arrested for assisting an offender after a string of police raids.
Mr Miller said: “I would encourage Masum to contact us and hand himself in immediately.
“At this stage, we have done an all ports warning, and I believe he is still in the country.
Her baby is safe and well and was not harmed in this incident.
Damien Miller
“Masum is obviously a suspect, we do have a victim who has sadly died, he is a risk so I would ask everyone to contact us and not approach him.
“We have officers conducting house-to-house inquiries and are doing sweeps of CCTV footage from the last areas he was seen in.
“We are doing everything in our power to locate him.”
Masum appeared before Tameside JPs on November 27 last year when he pleaded not guilty to assault by beating and making threats to kill Ms Akter just days earlier.
He allegedly attacked her on November 23 and then made the threats the following day.
The murder suspect pleaded not guilty and was due to stand trial on September 30 this year.
He is still on the run after the knife attack in broad daylight as armed cops staged raids at addresses in Burnley, Oldham, and Chester as the desperate hunt for him spread across northern England.
More details emerged of the attack in Bradford city centre around 3pm on Saturday as it was revealed Masum travelled to the scene from his home in Oldham, Greater Manchester, by train and taxi – and fled by bus after the killing.
He chatted to Ms Akter in the street before allegedly plunging a knife into her neck.
Bangladeshi Masum is the father of the youngster, according to a shop worker from a nearby store.
'Horrendous crime': Detective vows to track down & arrest murder suspect
Detective Chief Inspector Stacey Atkinson, of West Yorkshire Police’s Homicide and Major Enquiry Team, said: “This is a shocking incident that has happened in broad daylight in a busy area of Bradford and been witnessed by a number of people.
“A young woman has lost her life in the most awful circumstances.
“We have extensive enquiries ongoing to locate and arrest the man responsible, who is understood to be known to the victim.
“We know this incident will understandably cause concern in the local community.
“I would like to reassure the wider public that we are working tirelessly to investigate this horrendous crime and bring the person responsible to justice.
“To help us with this we are urging anyone who was in the area who may have dashcam footage or seen or heard something, however small it may seem, to please come forward.
“A scene remains in place which includes some road closures and I thank the public for their patience while we conduct our enquiries.”
He said: “He just wanted to see his son. He has got the bus from Oldham to Bradford Interchange, then caught a taxi up here.
“Our CCTV covers the inside of the store and a camera shows outside where the attack happened.
“He has walked up Westgate from town with the mother and baby. They have then been chatting outside the shop for about five minutes, just talking together.
“He has not tried to grab his son or anything, he just wanted to see him.
“Then he attacked the woman and there is screaming and he killed her.
“He ran away and jumped over a fence and got away.”
She was a very, very innocent person – the smile on her face.
Geo Khan
Police seized the CCTV from the shop where another member of the staff, Geo Khan, has told how he tried to save Ms Akter, who is also believed to be from Bangladesh.
He had served her regularly since she moved to the area around four weeks ago.
Mr Khan, 69, said: “I believe the woman is from Bangladesh. She was a very, very innocent person – the smile on her face.
“I was sitting in my shop and heard screaming. Blood was all over on the floor and there were stab wounds in her neck.
“I was joined by a passing doctor. Him and me and another guy tried to rescue her, but she was already gone.
“Whatever happened, it’s a very sad thing.”
‘They were everywhere’
Police later revealed that Masum was from Oldham but had links to Burnley and Chester.
Armed cops have since raided three properties in the Lancashire town as well as others in Chester and Oldham.
Riot vans pulled up outside a modern terrace in Burnley around noon on Sunday and officers carrying automatic weapons leapt out to surround the housing association property.
They entered the house and shortly after led away a woman and an elderly man.
One neighbour said: “The riot vans pulled up and armed police jumped out. They were everywhere.
“We had no idea what was going on.
“A little while afterwards, a lady and an elderly gentleman were taken out of the house by police.
“While this was happening there was a helicopter flying overhead for a long time afterwards.”
West Yorkshire forensic officers arrived at the property in the early hours of today to begin a search.
They bagged up evidence and took it away in patrol cars while other officers searched the garden and used cameras to check the gutters.
Around the same time, police were searching two more properties in another street around a mile away.
It is thought that officers entered one semi after discovering Masum had links to the family living there.
Tributes to mum after 'really shocking' killing
She sent her condolences to the woman’s loved ones and urged anyone with any information to get in touch with police.
One resident speaking at the scene said: “It’s just awful, horrific news.
“It’s scary. My thoughts are with her friends and family.”
Another added: “It’s just shocking. There are no other words.”
One woman at the scene said: “The poor girl and her family. We need more police in the area. I don’t feel safe.”
Other local residents have been expressing their shock on social media.
One woman wrote on Facebook: “So sad RIP young lady. My thoughts go out to all the family and friends.”
Another added: “What a sad world we live in, RIP young lady.”
Neighbours said they believed his aunt and uncle own the property.
Forensics officers bagged up yet more potential evidence as uniformed cops searched the roof and the gardens.
One resident said: “The police turned up around Sunday lunchtime. Armed police went in first. There were a lot of police here.”
Assistant Chief Constable Miller confirmed that Masum was known to the police and knew the victim, but did not give any more details.
He said the suspect was last seen walking in the direction of a park having got off a bus in Bradford following the attack.
The man added: “At 3.30pm Masum was captured on CCTV getting on a bus in Market Street. He then gets off the bus at 3.42pm on Killinghall Road and walks in the direction of Bradford Moor Park. This is our last confirmed sighting of him.”
Masum is from the city of Sylhet in eastern Bangladesh. Friends revealed he is married and came to the UK around two years ago to study for a masters in digital marketing at the University of Bedfordshire.
I was shocked when I heard this news, he is a familiar person nearby me.
Samin Ahmed
Photos have emerged showing him giving a peace sign at his graduation and dancing at an event last year.
He appears to have been trying to carve out a career as an influencer and shared photos and videos of his travel adventures and life in the UK to his 4,300 followers on Facebook.
Whitehall officials would not comment on Masum’s immigration status during the ongoing manhunt.
But Downing Street said Rishi Sunak‘s thoughts were 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.”
The Home Office added: “Saturday’s attack on a young woman was appalling, and our thoughts are with her family and loved ones.
‘Really shocked’
“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.”
Samin Ahmed, who runs Samin’s UK Visas Support Centre, helped Masum apply for a Schengen visa to visit Europe 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 happy when they last spoke a month ago.
Masum travelled to Barcelona after he was granted the Schengen visa, he added.
Police said Masum was slim build and was wearing a grey, white and black duffle coat, light blue or grey tracksuit bottoms and maroon trainers. He has also been seen wearing a grey hoodie.
A knife was recovered from the scene. Ms Akter’s baby was not harmed.
West Yorkshire Police have referred themselves to the IPCC due to them having previous contact with Ms Akter, who was staying in a women’s refuge in Bradford.
West Yorkshire Police's latest statment:
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 Kulsuma 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 Kulsuma Akter, Greater Manchester Police has made a referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.”