The air quality in Dhaka was marked as ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’ this morning (September 18, 2023), despite rain in parts of the capital last night.

With an air quality index (AQI) score of 108 at 8:30 am, Dhaka ranked 8th on the list of cities worldwide with the worst air quality, according to IQAir.

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Dubai of the United Arab Emirates, Kuching of Malaysia and China's Shanghai occupied the first three spots on the list, with AQI scores of 158, 156 and 134, respectively.

An AQI between 51 and 100 is considered 'moderate', AQI between 101 and 150 is considered ‘unhealthy', and 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.

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Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. 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, largely as a result of increased mortality from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer and acute respiratory infections.