Dhaka has once again topped the list of cities worldwide with the worst air quality, with an AQI of 167 at 9:15 am today (June 13, 2023).
The air was classified as 'unhealthy'.
Read: Govt takes up masterplan to prevent river pollution in and around Dhaka: LGRD Minister
An AQI between 151 and 200 is considered 'unhealthy' while 201-300 is 'very unhealthy', and 301+ is considered 'hazardous', posing severe health risks to residents.
India's Delhi, Pakistan's Lahore and Karachi occupied the second, third and fourth spots in the list, with AQI scores of 162, 158 and 139, respectively.
Read: Urgent, coordinated actions needed to curb air pollution in South Asia: World Bank
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: The country will be turned pollution-free: Environment minister
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.