- West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on November 16 conferred the State’s highest civilian award, Banga Bibhushan, on Binapani Devi (Boroma).
- She is the head of a socio-religious body of Matuas.
- Mamata Banerjee also and announced that a new university will be set up in honour of religious leaders of the Matua community.
- Matua is a religious sect of Bangladeshi Dalits who predominantly belong to the Namasudra caste.
- The Matuas are a community of five million migrants from Bangladesh who settled in the North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas, Nadia, Cooch Behar, Birbhum and Burdwan districts. They come under the scheduled caste category.
