TERRORISM DILEMMAS AND DEMOCRACY Unambiguous intruder frames were also employed in the The Daily Star, in which Major Shafiqur Rahman, second-in-command of BGB 42 Battalion in Teknaf, said: As per our informers, Rohingyas on 11 trawlers may attempt to intrude into Bangladesh through Shah Pori Island, Nila, Domdomia and others tonight. We have doubled our forces at these points. We have already informed our higher authority and we are waiting for instructions on what we will do if such infiltration of Rohingyas occurs. (The Daily Star, June 11, 2012) In using words such as ‘intrude’ and ‘infiltration’ Major Rahman justifies strengthening border security despite the humanitarian crisis. In doing so the newspaper harnesses a number of sub-frames that suggest border sovereignty and integrity is necessity to protect Bangladesh’s reputation and protect its citizens from the social contagion of Rohingya deviance and criminality. The framing in this context defines the problem of striking a balance between strict border control and refugee migration, as one where the interests of the state take precedence over humanitarian obligation, and the moral justification of such a stance is through sub-frames that give precedence to state reputation. In protecting such state interest and reputation, to the exclusion of humanitarian needs the press fail to deliver on its Fourth Estate mandate of scrutiny and accountability. // intruders of Bangladeshi sovereignty /// reputational damage to Bangladeshi state identity /// refugees as a social contagion /// refugees as threat to law and order and national security Reputational damage to Bangladeshi state identity: The ‘intrusion’ as a threat to Bangladeshi identity and reputation is manifest in news reports of the Rohingya obtaining fake identification papers including passports. On 25 July 2012, The Daily Star reported ‘More than 6,000 machine readable passports’ had been stolen from the divisional passport office in Agargaon, Dhaka. ‘...Stolen passports might be used by those who were not legally eligible for a passport, such as Rohingya refugees, convicts and people with a criminal track record’. Reportage on fake passports continued over the next few months, often exaggerating Rohingya involvement. While presenting the Rohingya through a criminality frame, the Bangladeshi government trivialised the involvement of its own citizens. Home Minister Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir said the passport theft in Agargaon was due to ‘the negligence of duties of a section of officials’ and there was no reason ‘to be worried about it’ (The Daily Star, October 21, 2012). Rohingya living in Bangladesh without official papers are indeed likely to pay 270 PACIFIC JOURNALISM REVIEW 25 (1 & 2) 2019