MAKKAH: The Bangladeshi community in Makkah has pledged to cooperate with the police to fight crime and residency violations following a meeting with local authorities in Al-Kedwah district of the city yesterday.

More than 7,000 people attended the meeting, which is part of an anti-crime campaign launched by Makkah police in collaboration with the Islamic Education Foundation.

Abdul Hafeez Al-Turkistani, deputy director of the Islamic Education Foundation’s Makkah office, said during an address at the meeting, “It is the duty of every citizen and expatriate to protect the sanctity of Makkah, the center of the Muslim World.”

Speaking on behalf of the local police, Col. Mueedh Al-Joaed requested the cooperation of expatriate communities to fight crime and make Makkah peaceful for both pilgrims and residents alike.

Speakers also urged the community not to indulge in illegal activities and stressed the importance of not providing refuge to overstayers. Mahmoud Baitar, administrative head of the Hajla district, said there was a need for communities to unite in their fight against crime.

Muhammad Divan, who spoke on behalf of the Bangladesh community, recited a poem expressing the community’s cooperation with police.

A similar campaign involving the Burmese community was held in April. “The campaign, which took place between April 1 and 17, has no doubt brought about a radical change in the outlook of several communities, particularly the Burmese, in these districts. They now believe that they have to play a big role, even greater than the police, to make the city free from crime,” said a businessman in Makkah weeks after that meeting.