The government plans to bring down inflation to 4-5 percent, Bangladesh Bank (BB) Governor Ahsan H Mansur said yesterday.

The interim government aims to bring inflation down to 7 percent by next June, he said.

"We will bring it down to 5 percent by the next fiscal year 2025-26. The main goal is to bring inflation down to 4-5 percent. I hope it is possible," he said.

The BB governor said this while speaking as the chief guest at a dialogue on "Tipping points of reform agenda for the turnaround of the banking sector of Bangladesh" at the Bangladesh Institute of Bank Management (BIBM) auditorium in the city.

Director General of BIBM Dr Md Akhtaruzzaman chaired the programme.

The prices of vegetables and food items are high in the market due to floods, Mansur said in his speech.

"It will come down soon. If we can bring inflation down to 7 percent, we will reduce the bank's interest and policy interest rate," he added.

Four pillars of the economy -- banking sector, capital market, insurance and bond market -- are strong in the country, he said.

"We have not been able to develop the bond market. As a result, the banking sector alone has to fulfil a big responsibility in our country. If we cannot find long-term sources of the economy, we will remain dependent on the banking sector," he added.

A background paper "Tipping points of reform agenda for the turnaround of the banking sector of Bangladesh" was presented in the programme by Professor (Selection Grade) of BIBM Dr Prashanta Kumar Banerjee.

A good number of participants, including chairman, managing directors, senior bank executives, academicians, media representatives, faculty members of BIBM, took part in the programme.

Director for Research, Development and Consultancy and Associate Professor of BIBM Md Shihab Uddin Khan delivered the welcome speech.