A Chilling Tale of Jealousy, Control, and Murder

Image: Jihad Watch

In a case that has horrified Britain, a husband described as “violent, jealous, and controlling” has been found guilty of brutally murdering his wife in broad daylight as she pushed their seven-month-old baby in a pram. The killer, 26-year-old Habibur Masum, meticulously tracked down his estranged wife, 27-year-old Kulsuma Akter, after she had fled to a women’s refuge in Bradford to escape his escalating abuse.

A Calculated Hunt

Masum’s violence had already driven Akter to leave their home in Greater Manchester, after he once held a knife to her throat during a domestic assault. Desperate to find safety, she moved into a refuge. But even there, she could not escape his reach. Using her phone’s location, Masum traced her whereabouts and began stalking the area around the hostel. CCTV footage later revealed him “loitering, watching and waiting,” biding his time before striking.

He compounded the terror by sending Akter a barrage of threatening messages, warning her that her family would be harmed if she did not return to him. In a sinister attempt to lure her out, he impersonated a local GP practice, sending fake texts about their child’s medical appointments and warning of “dire consequences” if she failed to attend.

The False Sense of Safety

Akter’s social worker had arranged for her to be rehoused and she was due to move on April 8. In the meantime, Masum devised a cruel deception. He persuaded his brother to tell Akter that he had gone to Spain. He even updated his own Facebook page with false posts to reinforce the lie. Believing she was finally safe, Akter felt confident enough to step outside on April 6, 2024, with her baby and a friend.

The Day of the Attack

As she walked through Bradford city centre, pushing the pram, Masum suddenly appeared. CCTV captured him attempting to steer her and the baby away, trying one last time to coerce her into returning with him. When she refused, his mask of calm shattered. From inside his jacket, he drew a knife and launched a frenzied assault.

Witnesses and jurors heard how Masum stabbed her at least 25 times, overpowering her, forcing her to the ground, and even kicking her body as a final act of contempt. The most chilling moment came when he lifted her head and deliberately cut her throat — a calculated and cruel execution. Prosecutor Stephen Wood KC described the scene as a “ferocious and brutal attack,” one that left Akter “bleeding to death in the gutter” beside her infant son.

The Chilling Aftermath

Even as his wife lay dying, Masum displayed neither panic nor remorse. Instead, CCTV later showed him walking through Bradford city centre with a smile on his face. He boarded a bus, apparently convinced he had succeeded in escaping justice. Meanwhile, his infant son was left stranded in his pram beside the lifeless body of his mother.

Jurors also heard disturbing details of Masum’s behaviour following his arrest. During his first police interview, he asked to see the footage of the murder — not out of shame or regret, but seemingly to gauge what evidence the officers had against him. At trial, however, he refused to view the same footage, giving testimony only through a Bengali interpreter despite living in Britain for three years.

A Life Unintegrated

The fact that Masum still required an interpreter highlighted his unwillingness to integrate into British society, despite having access to free language classes and other state-provided benefits. He had enjoyed all the advantages of the welfare system — housing, healthcare, allowances — but harboured nothing but resentment at his wife’s growing independence. Her attempts to live freely were, in his eyes, intolerable, for she was no longer behaving as a submissive wife but “like an Infidel woman.”

A Crime of Control and Ideology

Prosecutors painted Masum not only as a jealous and violent husband but also as a man whose actions were influenced by deep-seated beliefs about obedience and punishment. He had repeatedly warned Akter to “be obedient,” and when she defied him, he acted in accordance with what he viewed as justified discipline. His calm demeanour after the killing suggested he saw it not as a crime but as a righteous act.

What Comes Next

Masum now faces life behind bars. Yet, far from expressing guilt, he is expected to find solidarity in prison, where Muslim gangs dominate and often pressure non-Muslim inmates into conversion for protection. Critics argue that Britain’s prison system — by allowing such unchecked religious coercion — has become fertile ground for extremist influence. Calls have resurfaced for separating Muslim and non-Muslim prisoners entirely, to curb the spread of extremist ideology behind bars.

A Life Stolen, A Child Left Motherless

For Kulsuma Akter, who sought nothing more than safety for herself and her baby, the system ultimately failed to protect her. Deceived by Masum’s calculated lies, she stepped outside believing she had escaped him — only to face his blade. Her young son, abandoned beside her bleeding body, is now left to grow up without a mother.

This case is not only a story of one woman’s tragic death but also a stark reminder of the dangers posed by unchecked domestic abuse, cultural barriers to integration, and extremist ideologies that justify violence against women.

(This Article was originally published by Jihad Watch)