Dhaka has again topped the list of cities around the world with the worst air quality this morning (December 05, 2024). With an air quality index (AQI) score of 392 at 9:00 am, Dhaka ranked first in the list of cities with the most polluted air. Dhaka’s air most polluted in the world Wednesday morning An AQI between 151 and 200 is said to be ‘unhealthy’ while 201 and 300 is considered ‘very unhealthy’, and 301 to 400 is considered 'hazardous', posing serious health risks to residents. Mongolia's Ulaanbaatar, India's Kolkata and Pakistan's Lahore occupied the second, third and fourth places with AQI of 229,215 and 206 respectively. In Bangladesh, the AQI is based on five criteria pollutants — Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2 and Ozone. Winter settles over Bangladesh: Cooler days and nights ahead Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in winter and improves during the monsoon. 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.

The Department of Narcotics Control (DNC) has arrested three individuals during anti-drug operations in Dhaka's Gulshan and Paltan areas. The arrestees are Kazi Maruful Islam (26), Md. Ismail Bepari (30), and Sakib Naeem (27). A team of the DNC, led by the Ramna Circle Enforcement Team and Assistant Director Rahul Sen, conducted the raids in Dhaka’s Gulshan and Paltan areas on Wednesday and arrested them, said Shamim Ahmed, deputy director of DNC's Dhaka Metro Office (North). The operation also resulted in the seizure of various drugs and cash. Preliminary interrogation revealed that the drugs were smuggled from Thailand and Canada and were being distributed discreetly through app-based groups, he added. Private institution teachers to get transfer opportunity: Education Adviser The seized items include: Tetrahydrocannabinol-infused kush (1.040 kg), Tetrahydrocannabinol-infused candy (60 grams), Liquid cannabinoids (38 grams), Magic mushrooms (18 grams), Foreign liquor (8.5 liters), Cash from drug sales (Tk 105,000). The narcotics were reportedly sold to affluent young adults in areas like Gulshan and Banani. In addition, a case was filed against the suspects under the Narcotics Control Act, 2018.  

Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain on Wednesday said Bangladesh wants good relations with India on a reciprocal basis, hinting that Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) between the two countries might take place a day ahead instead of December 10.        “It is very clear that we want good relations but it should be reciprocal. We need to work to that end,” he told reporters while responding to a question at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Asked about the FOC, Hossain said it may take place one day ahead of the schedule, or it will be held on December 10 in Dhaka. Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri is likely to be in Dhaka on December 9 or 10 accordingly as both Bangladesh and India are preparing for the Foreign Secretary-level meeting. Once finalised, this is going to be the first visit to be paid by a senior Indian government official to Bangladesh since the interim government, led by Nobel laureate Prof Muhammad Yunus, came to power in August 8, a diplomatic source told UNB on Wednesday. Global problem-solving must rely on cooperation, not conflict: Prof Yunus However, there has been no official announcement yet regarding his visit to hold the Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) with Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Md Jashim Uddin. The discussion is likely to cover a range of bilateral issues, including the potential extradition of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who is currently in India and visa issues. At the Foreign Ministry's weekly briefing on November 21, Director General of the Public Diplomacy Wing Toufique Hasan confirmed that an inter-ministerial meeting has already taken place to coordinate preparations for the upcoming talks. India should recognise July uprising, democratic struggle: Mahfuj “There is a scope for discussion on the matter (extradition of Sheikh Hasina),” Hasan said at a weekly media briefing. Sheikh Hasina, who fled Dhaka on August 5 and has been residing in India since then, is facing trial in Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal for alleged involvement in mass killings during the July-August uprising. While the government intends to bring her back, Hasan emphasised that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not yet received any formal directive to initiate the extradition process. “We will engage with Delhi and begin the formal process in accordance with the existing extradition treaty once we receive the necessary instructions,” he clarified in response to queries. Regarding the review of existing agreements and memorandums of understanding (MoUs) between the two countries, Hasan said that these fall under the jurisdiction of various ministries in Bangladesh.

Dhaka, the overcrowded capital of Bangladesh, has topped the list of cities worldwide with the worst air quality with an AQI score of 259 at 9:00 am on Wednesday. Dhaka’s air was classified as 'very unhealthy', according to the air quality and pollution city ranking. An AQI between 151 and 200 is considered 'unhealthy' while 201-300 is 'very unhealthy', and 301-400 is considered 'hazardous', posing severe health risks to residents. Winter settles over Bangladesh: Cooler days and nights ahead Egypt's Cairo, Iraq's Baghdad and Uganda's Kampala occupied the second, third and fourth spots in the list, with AQI scores of 241, 189 and 187, respectively. 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’s air quality 7th worst this morning Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in winter and improves during the monsoon.

Dhaka, the overcrowded capital city of Bangladesh, has ranked the 7th on the list of cities with the worst air quality with an AQI score of 184 at 8:55 am Tuesday. Today’s air was classified as 'unhealthy’, according to the AQI index. When the AQI value for particle pollution is between 50 and 100, air quality is considered ‘moderate’, usually sensitive individuals should consider limiting prolonged outdoor exertion, between 101 and 150, air quality is considered ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’, between 150 and 200 is ‘unhealthy’, between 201 and 300 is said to be 'very unhealthy', while a reading of 301+ is considered 'hazardous', posing serious health risks to residents. Iraq's Baghdad, India's  Delhi and Pakistan’s Karachi occupied the first, second and third spots respectively on the list, with AQI scores of 246, 244 and 221 respectively. Dhaka's air quality 5th worst in the world this morning 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. 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.

Dhaka, the overcrowded capital city of Bangladesh, has ranked the fifth on the list of cities with the worst air quality with an AQI score of 183 at 9am this morning (December 02, 2024). Today’s air was classified as 'unhealthy’, according to the AQI index. When the AQI value for particle pollution is between 50 and 100, air quality is considered ‘moderate’, usually sensitive individuals should consider limiting prolonged outdoor exertion, between 101 and 150, air quality is considered ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’, between 150 and 200 is ‘unhealthy’, between 201 and 300 is said to be 'very unhealthy', while a reading of 301+ is considered 'hazardous', posing serious health risks to residents. India’s Delhi’s, Pakistan’s Lahore and again Pakistan’s Karachi occupied the first, second and third spots respectively on the list, with AQI scores of 260, 241 and 193 respectively. 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. Read: Dhaka’s air quality ‘unhealthy’ this morning Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in winter and improves during the monsoon. 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.

Amid intensified diplomatic tensions between the two neighbours, Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain on Saturday said they expect to establish a good relationship with India accepting the reality in the context of the post-August 5 changed situation. “We want to remain optimistic that we would be able to establish a good relationship with India making sure that both sides’ interests are protected,” he said, flagging issues of water sharing and border killings which remain unaddressed. The Adviser was speaking at a roundtable titled “Bangladesh-India Relations: Expectations, Barriers and Future.” The South Asian Institute of Policy and Governance (SIPG) and the Department of Political Science & Sociology (PSS), North South University hosted the event at the syndicate hall of NSU. Hossain said Bangladesh had some concerns and there are still some concerns that remain unaddressed while the previous government tried its best to address the concerns of India. He believes that India will proceed realising the changed situation but acknowledged that there are barriers which are normal in any relationship. “There is a change in the relations after August 5. This is reality.”    India closely monitoring situation related to minorities in Bangladesh: Jaishankar tells Lok Sabha Talking about water-sharing issues, Hossain said there has been no progress over the Teesta water-sharing treaty. “We would want to see progress there.” Regarding border killings, the adviser said they always spoke strongly about such incidents and he even talked about it face to face with the Indian officials. “This (border killing) is no way acceptable.” Hossain said this is the only border (Bangladesh-India border) in the world where people are shot to death despite the fact that the two countries are not involved in a war. “It’s not seen anywhere in the world." He said India has to fix it and if anyone commits crimes, they can be tried in court. “Why should they be killed?" Hossain said the Indian media dangerously and aggressively engaged against Bangladesh since August 5 and the role they have played is in no way conducive to maintaining a normal relationship between Bangladesh and India. “They (Indian media) know why they are doing this. Here, our media has a role to play,” said the adviser, highlighting the importance of fact-checking and bringing up the facts as well as proper coverage of the foreign ministry statements. India urges Bangladesh to ensure safety of Hindus, other minorities “It’s absolutely your decision (Bangladesh media’s coverage on MoFA statements). I am not saying that you have to do this but I am talking about people’s desire,” Hossain said. The adviser highlighted the importance of national consensus on foreign policy and noted that Bangladesh could not gain much due to lack of national consensus. He said India needs to address Bangladesh's concerns and would help improve the relations between the neighbours. Hossain said Bangladesh also needs to enhance its capacity both domestically and internationally with skilled human resources, and questioned the quality of education in some rural institutions from where many are getting degrees without learning anything. According to him, at least five percent of the GDP should go to the education sector consistently. "Bangladeshis working in the Middle East are paid much less than that of the other countries just because of the lack of adequate skills and English communication ability," he added. The panelists of the roundtable were Barrister Asaduzzaman Fuaad, joint member secretary, AB Party, Saquib Ali, former diplomat, Lt Gen (retd) Mohammad Mahfuzur Rahman, former Principal Staff Officer, Armed Forces Division, Prof Dr Mohammad Abdur Rob, Vice-Chancellor, Manarat International University, and Dr SM Asaduzzaman Ripon, Vice Chairman, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). The roundtable was chaired by Prof Abdul Hannan Chowdhury, Vice-Chancellor, North South University, and moderated by Dr M Jashim Uddin, Associate Professor, Department of Political Science & Sociology (PSS), North South University.

Dhaka has ranked fifth on the list of cities worldwide with the worst air quality with an AQI index of 168 at 9:00 am this morning. Dhaka’s air was classified as 'unhealthy' Saturday, according to the air quality index. India’s Delhi, Pakistan’s Lahore, Vietnam’s Hanoi and Kazakhstan’s Astana occupied the first, second, third and fourth spots on the list with AQI scores of 475, 263, 194 and 192, respectively. When the AQI value for particle pollution is between 101 and 150, air quality is considered ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’, between 150 and 200 is ‘unhealthy’, between 201 and 300 is said to be 'very unhealthy', while a reading of 301+ is considered 'hazardous', posing serious health risks to residents. 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’s air quality ‘unhealthy’ this morning Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in winter and improves during the monsoon. 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.  

Dhaka, the overcrowded capital city of Bangladesh, has ranked the ninth on the list of cities with the worst air quality with an AQI score of 155 at 9am this morning (November 29, 2024). Today’s air was classified as 'unhealthy’, according to the AQI index. When the AQI value for particle pollution is between 50 and 100, air quality is considered ‘moderate’, usually sensitive individuals should consider limiting prolonged outdoor exertion, between 101 and 150, air quality is considered ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’, between 150 and 200 is ‘unhealthy’, between 201 and 300 is said to be 'very unhealthy', while a reading of 301+ is considered 'hazardous', posing serious health risks to residents. Delhi’s Delhi, Pakistan’s Lahore and North Macedonia’s Skopje occupied the first, second and third spots in the list, with AQI scores of 350, 193 and 176 respectively. 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. Read: Dhaka’s air ‘unhealthy’ Thursday morning 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. 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.

Dhaka experienced light showers on Thursday night, with areas like Tikatuli, Mugda and Keraniganj enjoying a refreshing drizzle that enlivened the late-night atmosphere. The Bangladesh Meteorological Department forecasts that scattered rain is likely to continue across various parts of the country over the next three days, bringing a mix of refreshing showers and overcast skies. In a media release, the Met Office revealed that the deep depression in the southwest Bay of Bengal has moved north-northwestward as of Thursday night. It is expected to continue in that direction, influencing weather patterns across Bangladesh. Light rain is expected on Friday evening in parts of Khulna, Barishal and Chattogram divisions. The following 48 hours may bring light to moderate showers or thundershowers in these regions, including Dhaka. Elsewhere in the country, skies are likely to remain partly cloudy with dry weather prevailing. Temperature Tumbles On Thursday, the highest temperature of 32.4°C was recorded in Sitakunda, Chattogram, while the mercury dipped to 12.1°C in Tetulia, Panchagarh, marking the lowest temperature of the day. Read: Light rains likely in Khulna, Barishal, Chattogram divisions The Met Office has predicted a slight dip in daytime temperatures on Friday, with nighttime temperatures expected to inch up. By Saturday, both day and night temperatures may decrease marginally, continuing a cooling trend in the days to follow. As the mercury drops, the signs of winter are beginning to emerge. Light to moderate fog is likely in parts of the country from late night until early morning, offering a seasonal charm to Bangladesh’s landscapes.