Dhaka’s air quality remains in the “moderate” zone on Tuesday morning, with an Air Quality Index (AQI) score of 54 at 9:05 AM. This places Dhaka 60th among cities worldwide with the worst air quality.
The cities with the highest pollution levels were Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Baghdad in Iraq, and Cairo in Egypt, with AQI scores of 174, 163, and 156 respectively.
An AQI score between 50 and 100 is considered “moderate,” indicating acceptable air quality, though it may pose health concerns for a small number of people who are unusually sensitive to air pollution. Scores between 150 and 200 are “unhealthy,” between 201 and 300 are “very unhealthy,” and readings above 301 are “hazardous,” posing serious health risks to residents.
In Bangladesh, AQI is determined based on five pollutants: particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2, and ozone. Dhaka has long struggled with air pollution, which typically worsens in winter and improves during the monsoon season.
Globally, air pollution is a leading risk factor for death and disability. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that air pollution causes approximately seven million deaths worldwide each year.
