A young Bangladeshi woman was yesterday charged with stabbing a man in the neck while he slept in Melbourne in what Australian police described as an “Islamic State-inspired” attack.

Police arrested Momena Shoma, 24, at the scene after the incident in the city's north on Friday afternoon. The man's young child was present, but not hurt.

"We will allege this was a stand-alone, Islamic State-inspired attack, designed to cause harm to our community," said Australian Federal Police Deputy Commissioner Ian McCartney.

"We deplore any attempt to intimidate our community. We will continue to work together with Victoria Police to ensure the safety of the community and to protect our way of life in Australia."

Police said the woman was a Bangladeshi national who travelled to Melbourne on February 1 on a student visa and was renting a room in the 56-year-old's Mill Park home.

A neighbour told the Herald Sun newspaper the man managed to call her and she rushed to his home where she found him in the garage surrounded by a pool of blood.

"I saw all the blood, it was shocking, I saw so much blood," she said.

Shoma was charged with one count of engaging in an act of terrorism and remanded in custody when she appeared in court yesterday.

The man, reportedly a nurse, was due to undergo surgery yesterday for non-life threatening injuries. The woman also received hospital treatment for a minor hand injury.