Prime Minister and Awami League (AL) President Sheikh Hasina today reassured the countrymen that her party and government will always stand beside them in their sufferings and said the ruling party's only motto is to serve them.

"We're always beside the people and our motto is to serve them. The Awami League government is doing everything necessary to rid the countrymen of sufferings," she said.

The premier made the remarks in her introductory speech in the first joint meeting of the AL's newly elected executive, advisory and national committee at its Tungipara Upazila office.

She also pledged to give the countrymen a beautiful life, saying the AL government and its leaders and activists always stood by the people in their needs.

The prime minister said that standing beside the people during the coronavirus pandemic and any disaster, AL and its associate bodies proved that her party always stands by the people in times of need.

The joint meeting, as well, adopted a condolence motion on the late AL leaders prior to its proceedings.

Earlier, the premier opened 27 development projects and laid the foundation stone of another scheme as part of ensuring the overall development of Gopalganj.

Sheikh Hasina said all the members of the newly formed AL committee are committed to ensuring the socio-economic development of countrymen and materialising the dream of transforming the nation into a developed, prosperous and Smart Bangladesh by 2041.

"Our (AL's) policy is to stand beside the people in their sufferings as Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman wanted to give the countrymen a beautiful life and we're working to implement the target," she said.