United News of Bangladesh

Dhaka ranked 15th on the list of cities with the worst air quality on Tuesday morning, recording an Air Quality Index (AQI) score of 87. With this score, the capital’s air quality was classified as “moderate,” indicating acceptable air conditions, though there may be a slight health concern for a small number of unusually sensitive individuals. According to the AQI ranking at 9:00 am, Santiago, Chile, topped the list with a score of 160, followed by Wuhan, China with 153, Jakarta, Indonesia with 140, and Delhi, India with 135. An AQI score between 51 and 100 is considered moderate, while scores between 101 and 150 are deemed unhealthy for sensitive groups. Scores between 151 and 200 are categorized as unhealthy. The AQI measures air quality based on five major pollutants — particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide (SO₂), and ozone. Dhaka has long struggled with air pollution, with air quality typically deteriorating during the dry winter months and improving during the monsoon season. Air pollution remains a major public health concern, contributing to respiratory illnesses and other health complications worldwide, according to environmental experts and health authorities.

Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka ranked fifth among the world’s most polluted cities on Monday morning, recording an Air Quality Index (AQI) score of 148 at 9:45 am. According to the latest AQI data, Pakistan’s Lahore topped the list with a hazardous score of 367, followed by India’s Delhi in second position with a score of 204. Kampala secured the third spot with an AQI reading of 164, indicating unhealthy air quality levels. Dhaka’s AQI score of 148 placed it in the “unhealthy for sensitive groups” category, meaning people with respiratory issues, children and the elderly may experience health effects. The AQI is an index used to report daily air quality, indicating how clean or polluted the air is and what associated health effects might be a concern. Air pollution in Dhaka has remained a persistent problem, particularly during the dry season, due to factors such as construction work, brick kilns, vehicle emissions and dust. Health experts advise residents to limit prolonged outdoor activities and use protective measures, such as masks, during periods of poor air quality.

Believe it or not, Bangladesh had the least breathable air in the world in 2021, while its capital Dhaka was the second most polluted city. These are the findings of IQAIR’s World Air Quality Report 2021. The global real-time air quality information platform published its air quality report for last year on Monday. Apart from Bangladesh, Chad, Pakistan, Tajikistan and India topped in the ranking of the five most polluted countries across the globe, according to the report.