Dhaka ranks third worst globally for air quality as AQI hits 216

Dhaka ranked third on the list of cities with the worst air quality worldwide, recording an Air Quality Index (AQI) score of 216 at 9:40am today.

According to the AQI scale, Dhaka's air was classified as 'very unhealthy', indicating serious health risks, particularly for children, the elderly and people with respiratory or heart conditions.

India's Delhi topped the list with an AQI score of 424, followed by Afghanistan's Kabul at 243. India's Kolkata ranked fourth with a score of 214.

The AQI measures daily air quality and indicates how polluted the air is and the potential health effects associated with different pollution levels.

An AQI reading between 50 and 100 is considered moderate. Levels between 101 and 150 are deemed unhealthy for sensitive groups, while 151 to 200 is classified as unhealthy. A reading between 201 and 300 is described as very unhealthy, and anything above 301 is considered hazardous, posing severe health risks.

In Bangladesh, the AQI is calculated based on five major pollutants: particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), carbon monoxide (CO), sulphur dioxide (SO₂) and ozone.

Dhaka has long struggled with air pollution, with air quality typically deteriorating during the winter months and improving during the monsoon season.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution causes an estimated seven million premature deaths worldwide each year, largely due to stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer and acute respiratory infections.