Dhaka ranks fifth among world’s most polluted cities

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Dhaka ranked fifth among the world’s most polluted cities on Friday morning, recording an Air Quality Index (AQI) score of 163 at 9:25 AM.

The air quality was classified as ‘unhealthy’, meaning pollution levels may pose health risks to the general population.

Lahore in Pakistan topped the list with an AQI score of 236. Bahrain’s Manama and India’s Kolkata shared second place with scores of 176 each.

An AQI reading of 101 to 150 is considered ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’, while 151 to 200 is classified as ‘unhealthy’. Scores between 201 and 300 are considered ‘very unhealthy’, while readings above 301 are classified as ‘hazardous’.

The AQI provides daily information on air pollution levels and their potential health effects.

In Bangladesh, the index is calculated using five major pollutants: PM10 and PM2.5, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide and ozone.

Dhaka has long faced air pollution, with air quality generally worsening during winter and improving during the monsoon season.

The World Health Organization estimates that air pollution causes around seven million deaths worldwide each year, mainly due to stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer and acute respiratory infections.