Dhaka ranked 12th on the list of cities with the worst air quality with an AQI score of 122 at 10:18 am on Wednesday morning.
Today's air was classified as "unhealthy for sensitive groups", referring to a health threat, according to the IQAir index.
India’s Delhi, Senegal’s Dakar, Pakistan’s Lahore occupied the first three spots on the list, with AQI scores of 301, 273 and 199, respectively.
AQI levels of 101–150 are ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’, 151–200 is ‘unhealthy’, 201–300 is ‘very unhealthy’, and readings above 301 are considered ‘hazardous’, posing severe health risks.
The AQI, which reports daily air quality, informs residents how clean or polluted the air is and highlights potential health effects.
In Bangladesh, the AQI is calculated based on five key pollutants: particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and ozone.
Dhaka has long struggled with air pollution. Air quality usually deteriorates in winter and improves during the monsoon season.