Dhaka’s air quality
Dhaka’s air quality ranks third worst globally this morning
Dhaka, the overcrowded capital of Bangladesh, recorded the third worst air quality among major cities worldwide on Sunday morning (January 18, 2026), once again highlighting the city’s persistent struggle with pollution.
According to the air quality and pollution city ranking, Dhaka registered an Air Quality Index (AQI) score of 275 at 10:10am, placing it third on the list of cities with the most polluted air. The city’s air was classified as ‘unhealthy’.
India’s capital Delhi topped the list with an AQI score of 605, while Pakistan’s Lahore secured the second position with an AQI of 297, both indicating extremely poor air conditions.
The AQI is used globally to report daily air quality levels and to indicate how polluted the air is, along with the potential health effects on residents. When AQI values for particle pollution fall between 101 and 150, air quality is considered ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’.
Read More: Dhaka’s air quality remains ‘unhealthy’ amid fog
A reading between 150 and 200 is categorised as ‘unhealthy’, while levels ranging from 201 to 300 are deemed ‘very unhealthy’. An AQI reading above 301 is considered ‘hazardous’, posing serious health risks.
In Bangladesh, the AQI is calculated based on five key pollutants: particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO), sulphur dioxide (SO2), and ozone.
Dhaka has long been grappling with severe air pollution, a problem that worsens during the winter months due to increased emissions and unfavourable weather conditions.
The situation typically improves during the monsoon season, when rainfall helps to reduce airborne pollutants.
Despite seasonal relief, air pollution remains a major public health concern for the city’s residents, particularly children, the elderly and those with existing respiratory conditions, as Dhaka continues to rank among the most polluted cities in the world.
Read more: Adviser Rizwana calls for effective regional action to combat trans-boundary air pollution
8 days ago
Dhaka’s air quality 2nd worst in the world this morning
Dhaka has ranked second on the list of cities worldwide with the worst air quality with an AQI index of 287 at 9:00 am this morning (January 17, 2026).
Dhaka’s air was classified as 'very unhealthy' on Saturday, according to the air quality index.
India’s Delhi and Kolkata and Ethiopia’s Addis Ababa, occupied the first, third and fourth spots on the list, with AQI scores of 384, 202 and 192 respectively.
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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 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.
Read more: Experts stress reducing raw material use across industries to protect the environment
9 days ago
Dhaka’s air quality continues to be ‘unhealthy’
Dhaka, the overcrowded capital city of Bangladesh, has ranked eighth on the list of cities with the worst air quality with an AQI score of 173 at 9:23 am this morning (January 08, 2026).
Today Dhaka’s air was classified as ‘unhealthy’ referring to an alarming threat, according to the AQI index.
Egypt’s Cairo, Uganda’s Kampala, India’s Kolkata and Pakistan’s Lahore occupied the first, second, third and fourth spots on the list, with AQI scores of 253, 208, 195 and 193, respectively.
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.
Read more: Dhaka’s air quality remains ‘unhealthy’
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.
Read more: Air pollution: 5 ways to protect yourself from poor air quality
18 days ago
Dhaka’s air quality remains ‘unhealthy’
Dhaka, the overcrowded capital city of Bangladesh, has ranked 12th on the list of cities with the worst air quality with an AQI score of 153 at 9:21 am this morning (January 06, 2026).
The capital's air was classified as ‘unhealthy’, according to the AQI index.
India’s Delhi, Egypt’s Cairo, India’s Kolkata and Pakistan’s Lahore occupied the first, second, third and fourth spots on the list, with AQI scores of 215, 192, 181 and 174, respectively.
An AQI score between 50 and 100 is considered ‘moderate’, usually prompting sensitive individuals to limit prolonged outdoor exertion. A score between 101 and 150 is considered ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’, 150 to 200 is ‘unhealthy’, 201 to 300 is ‘very unhealthy’, and a reading of 301 or more is considered ‘hazardous’, posing serious health risks to residents.
Read more: Adviser Rizwana calls for effective regional action to combat trans-boundary air pollution
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.
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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.
20 days ago
Dhaka’s air quality remains ‘unhealthy’ amid fog
Dhaka, the overcrowded capital city of Bangladesh, has ranked eighth on the list of cities with the worst air quality with an AQI score of 163 at 9:15 am this morning (January 03, 2026).
The capital's air was classified as ‘unhealthy’, according to the AQI index.
Afghanistan’s Kabul and India’s Kolkata and Delhi and Egypt’s Cairo occupied the first, second, third and fourth spots on the list, with AQI scores of 429, 244, 235 and 179 respectively.
‘Unhealthy’ air quality persists in Dhaka
An AQI score between 50 and 100 is considered ‘moderate’, usually prompting sensitive individuals to limit prolonged outdoor exertion. A score between 101 and 150 is considered ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’, 150 to 200 is ‘unhealthy’, 201 to 300 is ‘very unhealthy’, and a reading of 301 or more 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 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.
Read more: Air pollution: 5 ways to protect yourself from poor air quality
23 days ago
Dhaka’s air quality 'moderate' this morning
Dhaka, the overcrowded capital city of Bangladesh, has ranked 30th on the list of cities with the worst air quality with an AQI score of 93 at 9:10am this morning (December 30, 2025).
Today’s air was classified as ‘moderate,’ referring to a light health threat, according to the AQI index.
India’s Delhi, China’s Wuhan and India’s Kolkata occupied the first three spots on the list, with AQI scores of 298, 188 and 183 respectively.
Read more: Air pollution: 5 ways to protect yourself from poor air quality
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.
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 more: How to Reduce Air Pollution in Bangladesh?
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.
27 days ago
Dhaka’s air turns ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’
Dhaka, the overcrowded capital city of Bangladesh, has ranked 22nd on the list of cities with the worst air quality with an AQI score of 119 at 09:50 am this morning (December 29, 2025).
Today Dhaka’s air was classified as ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’ referring to a healthy threat, 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, Afghanistan’s Kabul and Egypt’s Cairo cities respectively occupied the first, second and third spots on the list, with AQI scores of 332, 289, and 206 respectively.
Read more: Cold wave to persist for 2-3 more days: BMD
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.
Read more: Dhaka’s air turns ‘very unhealthy’ amid fog
28 days ago
Dhaka’s air turns ‘very unhealthy’ amid fog
Dhaka, the overcrowded capital city of Bangladesh, has ranked third on the list of cities with the worst air quality with an AQI score of 216 at 09:40 am this morning (December 28, 2025).
Today Dhaka’s air was classified as ‘very unhealthy’ referring to an alarming healthy threat, 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, Afghanistan’s Kabul and again India’s Kolkata cities respectively occupied the first, second and and fourth spots on the list, with AQI scores of 424, 243, and 214 respectively.
Read more: Strong 6.6-magnitude quake hits off Taiwan’s northeast coast
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.
Read more: Air pollution: 5 ways to protect yourself from poor air quality
29 days ago
Dhaka’s air quality 6th worst in the world this morning
Dhaka has ranked sixth on the list of cities worldwide with the worst air quality with an AQI score of 202 at 8:54 am this morning.
Dhaka’s air this morning was classified as 'unhealthy', according to the air quality index.
Afghanistan’s Kabul, India’s Delhi, Bahrain’s Manama, India’s Kolkata and Pakistan’s Karachi occupied the first five spots in the list of cities with worst air quality with AQI scores of 495, 393, 264, 226 and 203 respectively.
‘Unhealthy’ air quality persists in densely populated Dhaka
When the AQI value for particle pollution is between 50 and 100, air quality is considered ‘moderate’, 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.
No relief of Dhaka as air quality still ‘unhealthy’
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.
1 month ago
Dhaka 3rd most polluted city in the world this morning
Dhaka ranked third on the list of cities worldwide with the worst air quality with an AQI score of 251 at 9:00 am on Tuesday morning (December 02).
Dhaka’s air was classified as 'very unhealthy', according to the air quality and pollution city ranking.
India's Delhi and Kolkata and Pakistan’s Lahore occupied the first, second and fourth spots in the list, with AQI scores of 396, 269 and 200, respectively.
Read more: Dhaka’s air quality 7th worst this morning
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.
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 more: How to Reduce Air Pollution in Bangladesh?
1 month ago