A woman who was stabbed to death while pushing her baby in a pram in Bradford city centre has been identified, as it emerged her suspected attacker is on bail for allegedly assaulting and threatening to kill her. West Yorkshire police on Monday named the victim as Kulsuma Akter, aged 27, who died on Saturday. The suspect, who remains on the run, has been identified as Habibur Masum, 25, who is from the Oldham area and has links to Burnley and Chester. The victim and suspect were known to each other. Masum was conditionally bailed at Manchester magistrates court in November despite prosecutors objecting to his release. He pleaded not guilty to two charges at the hearing in November and was ordered not to contact Akter. Masum’s bail conditions also prevented him from contacting a second person or visiting a particular address. Court documents show that he was charged with threatening to kill Akter on 24 November and with assaulting her on 23 November. Both offences were alleged to have happened in Manchester. At a press conference on Monday, it was revealed that Masum was known to police and that Akter had had previous contact with officers. Two forces have referred themselves to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC). Police said they had arrested a 23-year-old man on suspicion of assisting an offender and he remained in custody. West Yorkshire assistant chief constable Damien Miller said there had been a “number of raids” carried out by police in Burnley, Chester and Oldham and it was during those searches that an arrest was made. Miller said Akter was stabbed to death in the Westgate area of Bradford city centre on Saturday afternoon. She was pushing her baby when she was attacked and stabbed multiple times. “The emergency services were called at 3.21pm,” Miller said. “However, despite the best efforts of members of the public, ambulance crews and hospital staff, Kulsuma sadly lost her life due to the injuries. “Her baby is safe and well and was not harmed in this incident.” Miller said Masum was last seen walking in the direction of a park having got off a bus. “Masum is a slim Asian man and was last seen wearing a duffel coat with three large horizontal lines, grey tracksuit bottoms and maroon trainers,” he said. “On Saturday he was captured on CCTV getting on a bus. He was last seen walking in the direction of Bradford Moor Park. This is our last confirmed sighting of him.” Miller said a significant amount of resources were going into the search, which includes examining CCTV and conducting house-to-house inquiries. “We also have local Bradford officers carrying out increased patrols in the area, which I hope will be of some reassurance to residents,” he said. Greater Manchester police said it has referred itself to the IOPC over previous contact with the victim and the suspect. Det Supt 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 inquiry 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.” Miller said West Yorkshire police had previous contact with the victim and had referred itself to the IOPC as a result. Renewing his appeal to the public for information, he said: “I believe him to still be in the country at this moment in time.” Masum is believed to be from Bangladesh and was in 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 master’s in marketing and digital marketing at the University of Bedfordshire between 2021 and 2023. A shopkeeper who tried to help Akter after the stabbing described how there was nothing that could be done to save her life. Geo Khan said: “I was sitting in my shop and heard screaming. I came out and I tried to check the pulse. There was no pulse. “Blood was all over on the floor and there were stab wounds in her neck.” Khan said he was joined by a passing doctor who took over trying to help the woman, but agreed there was no pulse. “Him and me and another guy tried to rescue her, but she was already gone,” Khan said. “Whatever happened, it’s a very sad thing.”