Dhaka, the overcrowded capital city of Bangladesh, has topped the list of cities with the worst air quality with an AQI index of 255 at 09:01am on Friday. The air was classified as 'very unhealthy', according to the air quality and pollution city ranking. An AQI between 151 and 200 is considered 'unhealthy' while 201-300 is 'very unhealthy' and 301-400 is considered 'hazardous', posing severe health risks to residents. Vietnam’s Hanoi, Uzbekistan’s Tashkent and India’s Delhi occupied the second, third and fourth spots in the list, with AQI scores of 234, 201 and 189, respectively. Dhaka’s air quality ranks world's 2nd worst on Thursday 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. Dhaka's air quality is worst in the world this morning 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.  

The government plans to form a taskforce and implement various activities through a time-bound action plan to address air pollution, said Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Adviser to the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change. She made the remarks at a seminar titled "Air Quality Research and Environmental Policy Discussion," jointly organized by the Faculty of Science at Dhaka University and the U.S. Embassy in Dhaka, held at the Faculty of Science conference room on Sunday. Rooftop gardens vital for clean air, safe food: Rizwana Syeda Rizwana Hasan was the chief guest at the event, while Professor Dr. Syama Haque Bidisha, Pro-Vice Chancellor (Administration) of Dhaka University, was the guest of honor. The seminar was chaired by Professor Dr. Abdus Salam, Dean of the Faculty of Science at Dhaka University, with Professor Dr. James J. Schauer from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA, as the special guest. Amy Cass, a representative from the U.S. Embassy in Dhaka, conducted the seminar. Syeda Rizwana Hasan emphasized that everyone is suffering from the effects of air pollution in Dhaka. She stated, "The government has taken various plans and initiatives to combat air pollution. In the near future, tree planting and greening will be carried out on the dividers of roads in Dhaka, and a taskforce will be formed to implement different activities through a time-bound action plan."  She also stressed the importance of collective efforts and awareness at every level. Govt finalises plan for Swatch of No-Ground to protect marine biodiversity: Rizwana Dr. Sayema Haque Bidisha, Pro-Vice Chancellor (Administration) of Dhaka University, highlighted the increasing harmful effects of air pollution on the environment, public health, and the economy.  Emphasizing the importance of raising awareness and fostering collaborative efforts between the government and various organizations to combat air pollution, she said, "people are suffering from various severe diseases due to air pollution, with rising rates of premature deaths and child mortality. Air pollution is also diminishing people’s productivity and efficiency".

The High Court has directed the authorities concerned to take effective steps to mitigate air pollution in Dhaka and implement nine previous directives within seven days. The bench of Justice Farah Mahbub and Justice Debashish Roy Chowdhury passed the order on Sunday and asked the authorities to submit report to the court by January 26.      Senior Advocate Manzil Morshed, representing the petitioner, appeared before the court alongside Advocates Sanjay Mondal and Salim Reza, while Deputy Attorney General Tanim Khan represented the state.  The petition was originally filed in 2019 by Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB) seeking urgent action to combat air pollution in the capital. Environment Adviser seeks Chinese cooperation in air quality management Following the petition, the court issued a rule and asked the authorities to form an expert committee and take preventive measures.  Despite some progress in reducing air pollution by mid-2023, Dhaka recently topped global rankings for poor air quality again due to lax enforcement of court instructions, said Advocate Manzil Morshed.  The court reiterated its nine-point directives for immediate implementation:  Those are covering soil, sand and waste transported by trucks or other vehicles, ensuring construction materials such as soil, sand and cement are covered, sprinkling water on roads regularly by city corporations and ensuring compliance with tender conditions for road and construction works.  Seizing vehicles emitting black smoke, halting the movement of vehicles past their permissible lifespan under the Road Transport Act, closing illegal brick kilns and shutting down unlicensed tire factories and ensuring proper disposal of market and shop waste by the city corporation were among those.  Advocate Morshed said although the court’s directives had been partially implemented consistent failures have allowed air pollution to reach alarming levels again. 

Dhaka, Bangladesh’s bustling capital, consistently ranks among the world’s most polluted cities, with an alarmingly high Air Quality Index (AQI) that classifies it as "very unhealthy." While improving the city’s air pollution is a long-term challenge, we can take immediate steps to enhance indoor air quality. Investing in a reliable air purifier is an effective way to breathe cleaner air at home or in the office. This guide covers popular air purifier models, price ranges, and tips to help you make the right choice. What is an Air Purifier? Air purifiers are home appliances that circulate and purify the air in an enclosed area, such as a room or a theatre. Air purifier devices use two oppositely directed channels to pull in polluted air and push it out after filtering. They use filtration technologies like HEPA filters and depolluting agents like active oxygen to clean the air. Benefits of Air Purifier Breathing into clear air has tremendous health benefits, as most chronic diseases occur from inhaling polluted, dusty air. Installing an Air Purifier in your room will: Remove Allergens: Allergens in the air trigger symptoms like sneezing, congestion, watery or itchy eyes, a runny nose, phlegm in the throat, rashes, and a sore throat. Air Purifiers reduce the allergen load of a room’s air to a harmless level. Reduce Asthma Triggers: HEPA filters are tested and certified for removing about 99.97% of pollen, dust, and different airborne particles that trigger asthma-related difficulties. Read more: Is There Any Alternative to Brick Kilns? Reduce Airborne Pathogens: Purifiers with HEPA filters can catch bacterial and viral pathogens on a large scale and free the indoor air from epidemical contamination like COVID and HMPV. Filter Odours and Harmful Gases: Human living spaces can be odorous for many reasons and generate deleterious gases. A purifier can be a lifesaver, removing those odors and gases from the air. Tips for Choosing an Air Purifier for Your Home or Office Buying an air purifier may not give you the expected protection if not chosen carefully. There are key choices and considerations that a buyer must make before making the buying decision: Frequency and Cost of Replacing a Filter Filters require replacement after 6 or 12 months of regular use; for activated carbon filters, the duration is 3 months. Most purifiers provide indicator lights to show the condition of a filter and warn about an imminent replacement. However, you must learn about different filters, costs, and the average replacement frequency to find the one suitable to your budget. Clear Air Delivery Rate (CADR) This measure indicates the amount of air a purifier cleanses at its highest capacity. For example, a purifier with a CADR 250 for gases will reduce the amount of harmful gas to a level that is only possible by replacing 250 cubic feet of contaminated air with the same volume of fresh air. The higher the CADR number, the more powerful and faster the purifier is. Read more: Best Projectors to Create Home Theaters in Bangladesh in 2025 Room Size  Measuring your room’s size beforehand will help you pick the right purifier to cover that room’s space. However, manufacturers often claim more than the actual capacity of their purifiers. As a buyer, you should research well, talk to existing users, check reviews on different platforms, and make sure that your chosen purifiers do what they say. Noise A noisy Air Purifier is difficult to live with as it can disrupt the peaceful environment of your room. Check the decibel level of a device on its packaging before buying it. Types of Filters There is no single Air Purifier to filter all sorts of pollutants; some are designed to catch biological pollutants like dust and pet dander, and some filter chemical pollutants like carbon monoxide. Air Purifiers can be of different types based on their filtering technologies. Mechanical Filters: These purifiers use fans to force air through a dense web of fine fibers that catch particles. HEPA filters are an example of a quality fiber web with the finest mesh, as they can catch both microscopic and large particles. Mechanical filters can’t filter gases or odors. Read more: Best Air Purifying Plants to Reduce Indoor Air Pollution of Home/Office Carbon Filters: Purifiers using activated carbon filters are effective against certain types of gases except ammonia, formaldehyde, or nitrogen oxide. They can also remove odorous particles from the air. Many air filters come with both mechanical and activated carbon filters to provide increased protection. However, carbon fibers get saturated easily and need frequent cleaning or replacement. Ozone Generators: These devices use ozone to alter the chemical composition of certain pollutants. They may show results in some cases but are not recommended for indoor use as they can make the air quality more dangerous. Electrostatic Ionizers: Some purifiers use electrostatic models to charge aerial particles and create a magnetic effect to stick those particles on nearby surfaces or plates attached to the purifiers. These purifiers are also not recommended as they often produce ozone.  Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation (UVGI): Many purifiers nowadays come with UV lamps to kill airborne pathogens. This feature may increase a purifier's protective measure, but it is often not necessary. Read more: Effects of Air Pollution on Unborn Children, Neonates, Infants Photocatalytic Oxidation PCO: Photocatalytic oxidation is also about reacting with harmful pollutants to make them ineffective. But the process may also create harmful byproducts so are not recommended. Best Air Purifiers Available in Bangladesh in 2025 Most electronic home appliance manufacturers make air purifiers and market them at different prices based on their designs, capacities, and filtration technologies. Here are a few notable air purifiers available in Bangladesh: Low Range BEKO Air Purifier P6 BEKO Air Purifier P6 is a simple-looking air-purifying device made by Singer. It features a CADR of 204 m³/hour and a 3-stage filtration system combining a HEPA 13 filter, an activated carbon filter, and a simple pre-filter. The purifier can clean a 323-sf area in 27 minutes and is available for BDT 9,038. Xiaomi Smart Air Purifier 4 Lite with Google Assistant Xiaomi Smart Air Purifier 4 Lite cleans the air in a 120-square-meter room in only an hour. It comes with a CADR of 360m³/h and captures air particles as small as 0.3 microns. It produces low sound, measured at only 33.4dB, which feels more like a whisper. A PM2.5 sensor monitors the inhouse air condition and lets users know when it needs a purification. The purifier is available in Bangladesh at approximately BDT 17,200. Read more: 9 Best Indoor Water Plants That Require Minimal Care Mid Range Philips AC0650 44m² Air Purifier The Philips AC0650 offers air purification for rooms up to 44 m². It features a CADR of 170 m³/h, ultra-quiet operation (19 dB), Wi-Fi connectivity via the Air+ app, and a compact design. It uses a dual filtration system combining HEPA and pre-filter filters. The purifier is available at BDT 24,790.

Dhaka, the overcrowded capital city of Bangladesh, has again topped the list of cities with the worst air quality with an AQI score of 212 at 9:15 am am this morning (January 7, 2025). Today’s air was classified as ‘very unhealthy', referring to a severe health threat, according to the AQI index. 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. Dhaka’s air remains world's worst Monday morning Vietnam’s Hanoi, India’s Kolkata and  Mumbai respectively occupied the second, third and fourth spots on the list, with AQI scores of 281, 251 and 215 respectively. 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’s air quality marks ‘unhealthy’ on weekend Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in winter and improves during the monsoon. 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.

Dhaka’s air continues to be unhealthy as it ranked 12th on the list of cities worldwide with the worst air quality with an AQI score of 160 at 8:50 am on Saturday. China’s Wuhan, Vietnam's Hanoi and Pakistan's Karachi occupied the first three spots in the list, with AQI scores of 271, 253 and 237, respectively. When the AQI value for particle pollution is 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. Dhaka’s air quality ‘very unhealthy’ this morning In Bangladesh, the AQI is based on five criteria 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. Air pollution consistently ranks among the top risk factors for death and disability worldwide. Breathing polluted air has long been recognised as increasing a person’s chances of developing a heart disease, chronic respiratory diseases, lung infections and cancer, according to several studies. Dhaka’s air quality ‘very unhealthy’ this morning As per the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year, largely as a result of increased mortality from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer and acute respiratory infections.    

Dhaka, the overcrowded capital city of Bangladesh, has ranked sixth on the list of cities with the worst air quality with an AQI index of 216 at 09:21 am today. Dhaka’s air was classified as 'very unhealthy', according to the air quality and pollution city ranking. Dhaka's air quality remains 'very unhealthy' Wednesday morning Bosnia Herzegovina' Sarajevo, Vietnam's Hanoi and Pakistan's Karachi occupied the first and second spots in the list, with AQI scores of 289, 266 and 258, respectively. An AQI between 151 and 200 is considered 'unhealthy' while 201-300 is 'very unhealthy' and 301-400 is considered 'hazardous', posing severe 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. Dhaka's air ‘very unhealthy’ this morning 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.

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change on Thursday issued a notification regarding the soaring levels of air pollution across Dhaka City as well as the entire country. The alarming rise in air pollution is contributing to severe health issues, premature deaths and negative impacts on productivity and the economy, the notification said. Dhaka’s air still ‘unhealthy’ this morning The Department of Environment (DoE) continuously monitors air quality through its Air Quality Monitoring Centers and publishes daily updates on the Air Quality Index (AQI) on its official website. During the dry season, the air quality in Dhaka and its surrounding districts frequently deteriorates from “unhealthy” to “hazardous” levels. To address this, the DoE has urged citizens to check the real-time AQI on its website (http://doe.portal.gov.bd)) or directly access it via 180.211.164.219:85. In addition, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has issued a public health advisory to be followed when the AQI exceeds 250: When the AQI is 250 or above, people are advised to wear masks outdoors and sensitive individuals—such as those who are ill, elderly or children—should avoid going outside unless absolutely necessary. If possible, the use of air purifiers indoors is recommended. The release also said that air pollution levels across Dhaka and the entire country surge significantly during the dry season from November to March. During this period, activities such as brick kiln operations, uncontrolled construction and development, vehicular emissions, burning of solid fuels like firewood for cooking, open burning of municipal waste, industrial emissions and the open transportation of sand, soil and construction materials exacerbate air pollution. Additionally, trans boundary air pollution originating from the northwest of the country accounts for approximately one-third of Dhaka’s air pollution, further intensifying the overall situation, it added.

Dhaka, the densely populated capital of Bangladesh, has ranked the second on the list of cities with the worst air quality with an AQI score of 277 at 8:20am this morning (December 20, 2024). Today’s air was classified as ' very unhealthy’ and such air quality continued for the past few days, posing a grave health threat, according to the AQI index. Old, polluting buses in Dhaka to be scrapped to combat air pollution: Rizwana 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. India’s Delhi, Pakistan’s Lahore and Ghana’s Accra occupied the first, third and fourth spots on the list, with AQI scores of 531, 254 and 247 respectively. Choking on progress: Dhaka's air pollution cripples health and economy 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. 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.

Dhaka, the overcrowded capital of Bangladesh, has topped the list of cities worldwide with the worst air quality with an AQI score of 281 at 9:07 am on Saturday. Dhaka’s air was classified as 'very unhealthy', according to the air quality and pollution city ranking. Pakistan’s Lahore, India’s Delhi and Afghanistan’s Kabul occupied the next three spots, with AQI scores of 216, 179 and 178, respectively. People advised to wear mask as air quality worsens An AQI between 151 and 200 is said to be ‘unhealthy’ while 201 and 300 is considered ‘very unhealthy’, and 301 to 400 is ranked '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. Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in winter and improves during the monsoon. Air quality: Dhaka 3rd most polluted city in the world this morning As per the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year, largely as a result of increased mortality from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer and acute respiratory infections.