Hunt for mother killer suspect Habibur Masum spreads to Cheshire

Officers in Cheshire, West Yorkshire and Greater Manchester are all searching for Habibur Masum.

He is suspected of the murder of 27-year-old Kulsuma Akter in Bradford, who was stabbed in the neck several times as she pushed her baby in a pram in the Westgate area of the city on Saturday afternoon (April 6).

The search for Masum, 25, has now spread throughout the northwest of England.

Detective Chief Inspector 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.  
 
“Over the weekend we have had significant resources following up extensive lines of enquiries to locate Habibur Masum but his whereabouts are unknown."

It has now emerged that Masum is on bail after previously being accused of assaulting and threatening to kill her.

He was conditionally bailed by Manchester Magistrates’ Court in November, despite prosecutors objecting to his release, the PA news agency reported.

He pleaded not guilty to both offences at a hearing on November 27 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.

Habibur Masum (Image: West Yorkshire Police)

On Monday, West Yorkshire’s Assistant Chief Constable Damien Miller told a press conference that Masum was last seen on Saturday, getting off a bus before walking in the direction of Bradford Moor Park.

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

Renewing his appeal to the public for information on the suspect, Mr Miller said: “I believe him to still be in the country at this moment in time.”

Police said anyone who sees Masum should call 999 “as a matter of urgency”.

His Facebook page says he is from Sylhet, Bangladesh, and he is believed to have come to the UK on a student visa, and later a postgraduate visa after he obtained his degree.

According to his LinkedIn profile, he studied for a masters in marketing and digital marketing at the University of Bedfordshire between 2021 and 2023.

His social media videos show him picking out clothes for children and adults in Primark, building baby furniture and flying to Europe.

Days before the attack, he posted a picture of him posing with a woman and baby beneath a sign that reads “love”.

On September 26 last year, he shared a photo holding a newborn in his arms in a hospital, with the caption: “I have become the father of a Son. Both mother and child are alright now. Pray for my baby boy.”

*UPDATE*

Police have confirmed that a 25-year-old man from Oldham has now been arrested.

Further details here.