Dhaka, the overcrowded capital of Bangladesh, ranked eighth on the list of cities with the worst air quality, recording an Air Quality Index (AQI) score of 159 at 8:57 am on Monday (January 05, 2026).
The capital’s air was classified as “unhealthy,” according to the AQI.
India’s Kolkata and Delhi, China’s Shanghai, and Afghanistan’s Kabul occupied the first, second, third and fourth positions on the list, with AQI scores of 189, 184, 178 and 177 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,” 151 to 200 is “unhealthy,” 201 to 300 is “very unhealthy,” and a reading of 301 or more is considered “hazardous,” posing serious health risks.
The AQI is an index for reporting daily air quality. It indicates how clean or polluted the air in a city is and highlights the associated health effects.
In Bangladesh, the AQI is based on five pollutants: particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide (SO2) and ozone.
Dhaka's air quality turns `unhealthy for sensitive groups’
Dhaka has long struggled with air pollution. Its air quality typically worsens during winter and improves in the monsoon season.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution causes an estimated seven million deaths worldwide each year, mainly from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer and acute respiratory infections.