Police search for ‘knifeman’, 25, after 27-year-old mother was brutally stabbed to death next to her son’s pram in daylight attack

Police are searching for a suspected ‘knifeman’ Habibur Masum after a 27-year-old woman was stabbed to death next to her son’s pram in broad daylight. 

 

A supermarket owner attempted to save the victim after finding her lying face down on the pavement next to her five-month-old baby moments after she was fatally stabbed in Bradford city centre on Saturday afternoon, April 6. 

 

Police issued a warning yesterday, April 7, after naming and releasing CCTV images of the man suspected of having killed the woman.

 

Habibur Masum, 25, from the Oldham area and known to the victim, is still at large and members of the public have been urged ‘not to approach” him if seen but to “call 999 immediately”.

 

According to eyewitnesses, the woman was stabbed “four to five times” in the neck while shopping with a friend. The baby was not harmed.

 

Geo Khan, 69, who runs a fruit a veg shop in Bradford, tried to resuscitate the woman, who was one of his customers. 

 

He said: “I was working on Saturday and I heard screams and ran out of my shop. I saw that the lady was lying face down on the pavement next to a pushchair with her five-month-old baby inside.

 

“I turned her over. There was a lot of blood and I checked for a pulse, but couldn’t find one. I could see the knife wounds to her neck and I tried to do CPR. Her friend was screaming.” Mr Khan said a doctor who was passing in a car stopped to help. 

 

“He picked up a pulse and I went to get a sheet to put over her until the ambulance came,” he added. 

 

The mother is understood to have been pushing her baby son in his pram at the time of the fatal attack. 

 

Masum, described as an Asian man of slim build, is pictured on CCTV wearing a duffle coat with three large horizontal lines of grey, white and black, as well as light grey tracksuit bottoms and maroon trainers.

 

 

A witness also reported seeing him wearing a grey hoody with the hood up. He is believed to have links to the Burnley and Chester areas. 

 

A source who described himself as a friend of Masum’s told MailOnline the suspect had come to the UK from Bangladesh two years ago to study. He said that Masum was a married man who had been living in Oldham, Manchester and had wanted to go travelling across Europe. 

 

Police today, April 8, continued to search for the knifeman, who ran away following the attack, leaving the woman dying on the pavement

 

She was outside a convenience store, waiting for her friend who had gone to buy goods inside, when she was attacked.

 

Detective Chief Inspector Stacey Atkinson, of West Yorkshire Police’s Homicide and Enquiry Team, said: “We have had significant resources following up a number of lines of enquiry to locate Habibur Masum but at this time his whereabouts are unknown.

 

“A knife was recovered from the scene of the murder, but we cannot say if Habibur Masum is armed, and I would urge anyone who does see him not to approach him but to call 999 immediately.

 

“If anyone has any information about his movements or whereabouts since 3:20pm on Saturday please contact police as a matter of urgency.

 

“We understand that the murder of a young woman in such shocking circumstances has caused considerable concern in the local community.

 

“Residents can expect to continue to see a significant police presence in Bradford as we make further enquiries and conduct reassurance patrols in the area.”

 

 

Detective Chief Inspector Stacey Atkinson, of West Yorkshire Police’s Homicide and Major Enquiry Team, described the stabbing as a “shocking incident that has happened in broad daylight.”

 

She said that part of the city was busy at the time and the attack was “witnessed by a number of people.”

 

DCI Atkinson said: “A young woman has lost her life in the most awful circumstances, and we have extensive enquiries ongoing to locate and arrest the man responsible.

 

“We understand that this incident will understandably cause concern in the local community, and 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.”

 

She urged anyone with dashcam footage to get in touch.

 

In a joint statement, Bradford City ward councillors, Aneela Ahmed, Nazam Azam and Shakeela Lal, said: “We are deeply shocked and saddened by yesterday’s incident. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of the deceased.

 

“We would urge anyone who has any information relating to the incident, to contact the police.”

 

Bradford West MP Naz Shah, whose constituency covers the city centre, described the incident as “really shocking”.

 

She sent her condolences to the woman’s loved ones and also urged anyone with any information to get in touch with officers.