Founder & Publisher – Habibur R. Tafader
Habibur R. Tafader is a British businessman, UK politician, regulated Immigration Advisor, founder, editor, publisher of Surma Times, a Bangladeshi mainstream newspaper registered by the Government of Bangladesh. He is also the founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Legal i Services Ltd., an immigration and legal consultancy based in the United Kingdom, and serves as a director of Kushiara Media Ltd, which publishes Sabuj Sylhet, Puber Hawa, Manchitra and other related publications.
In 2005 , Habibur earned a degree from Touro University, New York in Digital Media Arts (Music). Upon returning from the USA, Habibur founded Surma Times in 2006 , which at the time was one of the first Sylheti-diaspora digital news services. Surma Times was operational until 2008, then went on hiatus and was restored in 2010 , this time with more focus and more viewers than ever before. On January 1st, 2012, Surma Times was officially designated as a newspaper by the Government of Bangladesh , thus evolving into a recognized mainstream media outlet.
Currently operating out of London, Habibur manages the overall editorial direction, digital development and audience interaction for Surma Times; at the same time, he heads Legal i Services Ltd., which operates as a regulated immigration advisory service providing accurate, compliant-based advice to clients. As well as managing the content within Kushiara Media Ltd, he supports the larger media environment through various publications that serve both Bangladeshi communities and expatriate communities.
In addition to these efforts, Habibur has developed several digital public interest applications including one of the earliest Bangla Unicode Converters , and the Surma Times Photocard Studio , which support local communication and cultural expression. In 2022, Habibur was engaged as a candidate for local government office in England, illustrating his continued commitment to community involvement and citizen participation.
The multi-faceted nature of his work experience, encompassing law, journalism, and community activities will continue to define the purpose and character of Surma Times as a newspaper committed to truth, objectivity and social benefit.
