Dhaka Ranks 6th Among World's Most Polluted Cities

Dhaka ranked sixth among the world's most polluted cities on Wednesday morning, recording an Air Quality Index (AQI) score of 137 at 9:05am, according to global air quality monitoring data.

With an AQI of 137, the capital's air quality was classified as "Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups," indicating an increased risk of health problems for children, older adults and people with respiratory or cardiovascular conditions.

Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of the Congo topped the global pollution list with an AQI score of 178, followed by Medan, Indonesia, at 158 and Doha, Qatar, at 157.

Under the AQI scale, a score of 101–150 is considered Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups, 151–200 is Unhealthy, 201–300 is Very Unhealthy, and readings above 300 are classified as Hazardous, posing serious health risks to the general population.

The AQI provides daily information on air quality by measuring the concentration of major pollutants and their potential impact on human health.

In Bangladesh, the index is calculated using five key pollutants: particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), sulfur dioxide (SO₂), carbon monoxide (CO) and ground-level ozone (O₃).

Dhaka has long struggled with poor air quality, with pollution levels typically worsening during the dry winter months and improving during the monsoon season.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution causes an estimated seven million premature deaths worldwide each year, contributing to diseases such as stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), lung cancer and acute respiratory infections.