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 167 at 9:15am this morning (March 9, 2025). Today’s air was classified as ‘unhealthy’, referring to a health threat to residents, 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. China’s Beijing, India’s Delhi and Nepal’s Kathmandu cities respectively occupied the first, second, and fourth spots on the list, with AQI scores of 228, 219 and 195 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. Dhaka’s air world’s 3rd worst this 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.

Every two seconds one person under 70 dies of a non-communicable disease (NCD), the majority of them in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), according to a new report by the UN health agency. The World Health Organization (WHO) study released Wednesday said LMICs account for 86 percent of these premature deaths, most of which could be avoided or delayed if people had access to prevention, treatment and care. The diseases pose one of the greatest health and development challenges of the century but they are overlooked and underfunded, according to the WHO report "Invisible numbers: the true extent of noncommunicable diseases and what to do about them." Read: Animal-to-human diseases rise in Africa: WHO

Various cold-related diseases affected 4,388 people across the country in the last 24 hours, the government said on Tuesday.

Boosting efforts to fight pneumonia could avert nearly 140,000 child deaths from pneumonia and other major diseases in Bangladesh, according to a new analysis.

Various cold-related diseases affected 4,248 people across the country in the last 24 hours, the government said on Wednesday.

Various cold-related diseases affected 4244 people across the country in the last 24 hours, the government said on Tuesday.

Various cold-related diseases affected 5,825 people across the country in the last 24 hours, the government said on Thursday.

Various cold-related diseases affected 4,190 people across the country in the last 24 hours till Sunday morning.

Various cold-related diseases have affected 5,823 people across the country in the last 24 hours, the government said on Thursday.

Various cold-related diseases have affected 5,852 people across the country in the last 24 hours, the government said on Wednesday.