Dhaka ranked third among the world's most polluted cities on Wednesday morning, recording an Air Quality Index (AQI) score of 161 at 9:50 am.
The city's air quality was classified as 'unhealthy', meaning people may experience health effects due to elevated levels of air pollutants.
According to the AQI ranking, Malaysia's Kuching topped the list with a score of 184, followed by Kuala Lumpur with 179. Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, ranked fourth with an AQI of 158.
An AQI score between 101 and 150 is considered 'unhealthy for sensitive groups', while readings between 151 and 200 are classified as 'unhealthy'. Scores from 201 to 300 are considered 'very unhealthy', and readings above 301 are categorized as 'hazardous'.
The AQI is used to measure daily air quality and indicate the level of pollution in the atmosphere and its potential health impacts.
In Bangladesh, air quality is assessed based on five major pollutants: particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO), sulphur dioxide (SO2) and ozone.
The World Health Organization estimates that air pollution causes around seven million deaths worldwide every year, mainly from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer and acute respiratory infections.