India’s Delhi

Dhaka’s air quality remains ‘unhealthy’

Dhaka, the overcrowded capital city of Bangladesh, has ranked 12th on the list of cities with the worst air quality with an AQI score of 153 at 9:21 am this morning (January 06, 2026). The capital's air was classified as ‘unhealthy’, according to the AQI index. India’s Delhi, Egypt’s Cairo, India’s Kolkata and Pakistan’s Lahore occupied the first, second, third and fourth spots on the list, with AQI scores of 215, 192, 181 and 174, respectively. An AQI score between 50 and 100 is considered ‘moderate’, usually prompting sensitive individuals to limit prolonged outdoor exertion. A score between 101 and 150 is considered ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’, 150 to 200 is ‘unhealthy’, 201 to 300 is ‘very unhealthy’, and a reading of 301 or more is considered ‘hazardous’, posing serious health risks to residents. Read more: Adviser Rizwana calls for effective regional action to combat trans-boundary air pollution The AQI, an index for reporting daily air quality, informs people how clean or polluted the air of a certain city is and what associated health effects might be a concern for them. The AQI in Bangladesh is based on five pollutants: particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2, and ozone. Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in winter and improves during the monsoon. Read more: What is Carbon Trading? How does it work? As per World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year, mainly due to increased mortality from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and acute respiratory infections.

14 days ago

Dhaka’s air quality 'moderate' this morning

Dhaka, the overcrowded capital city of Bangladesh, has ranked 30th on the list of cities with the worst air quality with an AQI score of 93 at 9:10am this morning (December 30, 2025). Today’s air was classified as ‘moderate,’ referring to a light health threat, according to the AQI index. India’s Delhi, China’s Wuhan and India’s Kolkata occupied the first three spots on the list, with AQI scores of 298, 188 and 183 respectively. Read more: Air pollution: 5 ways to protect yourself from poor air quality When the AQI value for particle pollution is between 50 and 100, air quality is considered ‘moderate’, usually sensitive individuals should consider limiting prolonged outdoor exertion, between 101 and 150, air quality is considered ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’, between 150 and 200 is ‘unhealthy’, between 201 and 300 is said to be 'very unhealthy', while a reading of 301+ is considered 'hazardous', posing serious health risks to residents. The AQI, an index for reporting daily air quality, informs people how clean or polluted the air of a certain city is and what associated health effects might be a concern for them. The AQI in Bangladesh is based on five pollutants: particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2, and ozone. Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in winter and improves during the monsoon. Read more: How to Reduce Air Pollution in Bangladesh? As per World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year, mainly due to increased mortality from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and acute respiratory infections.

21 days ago

With moderate traffic, Dhaka's air quality too is 'moderate' this morning

Dhaka's air quality continued to be in the ‘moderate’ zone this morning (July 2, 2023), thanks to the torrential rain for the past few days and traffic yet to return to its usual form after Eid holidays. With an air quality index (AQI) score of 68 at 8:25 am, Dhaka ranked 29th in the list of cities worldwide with the worst air quality. India’s Delhi, Pakistan’s Lahore and China’s Beijing occupied the first three spots on the list, with AQI scores of 137, 133 and 114, respectively. Read: Rain, thin traffic during Eid holidays keep Dhaka's air quality 'moderate' An AQI between 50 and 100 is considered ‘moderate’ with an acceptable air quality. However, there may be a moderate health concern for a very small number of people who are unusually sensitive to air pollution. Besides, an AQI between 150 and 200 is considered 'unhealthy', AQI between 201 and 300 is said to be 'very unhealthy', while a reading of 301+ is considered 'hazardous', posing serious health risks to residents. In Bangladesh, the AQI is based on five criteria pollutants — Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2 and Ozone. Read: Dhaka's air quality ‘moderate’ thanks to less traffic on 4th day of Eid holidays Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in winter and improves during the monsoon. Air pollution consistently ranks among the top risk factors for death and disability worldwide. As per the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year. Read more: Rain, few vehicles on the street during Eid holidays make Dhaka air quality ‘moderate’

2 years ago