Dhaka has been ranked as the fourth most polluted city in the world.

The air quality index (AQI) in Dhaka was recorded at 154 around 10am today (August 3, 2022).

Chile's Santiago, Pakistan's Lahore and Saudi Arabia's Riyadh occupied the first three spots, with AQI scores of 162, 160 and 155, respectively.

An AQI between 101 and 200 is considered "unhealthy", particularly for sensitive groups.

Similarly, an AQI between 201 and 300 is said to be "poor", while a reading of 301 to 400 is considered "hazardous", posing serious health risks to residents.

AQI, an index for reporting daily air quality, is used by government agencies to inform people how clean or polluted the air of a certain city is, and what associated health effects might be a concern for them.

In Bangladesh, the AQI is based on five criteria pollutants – Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2 and Ozone.