Vigil held in memory of stab victim Kulsuma Akter

A vigil has been held in memory of Kulsuma Akter, who was stabbed to death in Bradford.

Ms Akter, 27, was pushing her baby son in a pram along a city centre street when she was fatally attacked on 6 April.

A service, organised by women from across the city, took place in Centenary Square in Bradford on Saturday afternoon, with about 100 people in attendance.

A minute's silence was held at 15:21 BST, to mark the exact time emergency services were first alerted to Ms Akter's injuries.

"Kulsuma Akter, say her name," was chanted by those present, while placards and paper signs bearing those words were held aloft.

Some of those gathered were in tears as the vigil took place and black ribbons were given out as armbands.

One of those behind the vigil, Jenny Stein, said organisers had wanted to highlight the issue of violence against women, while remembering that Ms Akter was not just a "statistic".

"We didn't want her death to pass by without any recognition, or showing that some of us are really upset and distressed by what happened to her.

"She's a real woman, with a real baby in a real pram, on a street on a Saturday afternoon. It's very upsetting".

Mussarat Rahman said Ms Akter's death had "reignited" conversations about women's rights.

She said: "All these things that are happening behind closed doors and on our public streets need bringing out to the forefront again.

"It's made women worry about how something like that could happen on our streets, particularly in Bradford."

Habibur Masum, 25, from Burnley, has been charged with Ms Akter's murder and appeared at Bradford Crown Court on 12 April via video link.

A provisional trial date has been set for 18 November, with Mr Masum also charged with possession of a bladed article.

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