Husband convicted for the murder of his estranged wife in front of their baby

A man has been found guilty of murdering his wife in front of their baby in a pram while out in the streets of Bradford.

Habibur Rahman Masum, 26, of Burnley, Lancashire has been convicted at trial at Bradford Crown Court today (27 June 2025) of murder, one count of assault, one count of making threats to kill and another count of stalking.

Masum had already pleaded guilty on 5 June 2025 at the same court to manslaughter and possession of a bladed knife. The guilty plea to manslaughter was not accepted by the prosecution who proceeded to trial on the murder and other charges.

The West Yorkshire Police investigation and subsequent CPS work building the case ultimately proved that on 6 April 2024, Kulsuma Akter was out shopping in the city, when Masum had tracked her down.  Kulsuma was living in a refuge/safe house at the time. He had previously sent her messages of a menacing nature which contained threats to kill and photos and videos of the area and premises where she was residing.

She was with her baby, who was in a pram, and a friend when she was confronted by her estranged husband, Habibur Masum. After she refused his attempts at reconciling the marriage, he proceeded to stab her multiple times which sadly led to her death later the same day.

Marie Walsh of the Crown Prosecution Service said: “Habibur Masum is a violent and dangerous man who subjected his estranged wife to violence and domestic abuse causing her to flee their home to live in a safehouse in Bradford.

“Unable to accept the relationship was over, he managed to track her down and then stabbed her multiple times. This was a callous and shocking murder for which Masum has been convicted by the court.

“We hope the convictions against Masum has brought some comfort to the family and friends of Kulsuma.”

Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Chief Inspector Stacey Atkinson of West Yorkshire Police said: “Kulsuma suffered a brutal attack in broad daylight whilst her baby son was in his pram.  

“Masum carried out the murder then calmly walked away as if nothing had happened. He left the scene and made his way out of the city to try and escape justice.

“A nationwide manhunt for Masum was launched, and he was subsequently arrested and charged with Kulsuma’s murder.  

“Kulsuma’s family have been left absolutely devastated by her death, I hope today’s conviction will bring them a sense of justice in knowing that the man responsible for her death has been found guilty.  

“We remain committed to working alongside our partner agencies to tackle violence against women and girls, particularly domestic abuse, and we urge victims or those who know about their situation to report it to us.”