Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka ranked as the most polluted city in the world on Thursday morning, according to air quality data from Swiss-based monitoring group IQAir.

At 10 am, Dhaka registered an Air Quality Index (AQI) score of 183, placing it in the ‘unhealthy’ category.

The worst-affected areas included Becharam Deuri, which recorded an AQI of 214, and the Shialbari Government Officers' Quarters in Mirpur 6, with a reading of 205—both categorised as ‘very unhealthy’, posing serious health risks to the general population. 

Nepal’s capital Kathmandu followed Dhaka as the second most polluted city, while Dakar in Senegal and Hanoi in Vietnam ranked third and fourth respectively. All four cities reported air quality in the 'unhealthy' range.

According to IQAir, AQI readings between 0 and 50 are considered 'good'. Scores between 51 and 100 are deemed 'moderate', while readings from 101 to 150 are classified as ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’, such as children, the elderly, and people with respiratory conditions.

An AQI between 151 and 200 is considered ‘unhealthy’, 201 to 300 ‘very unhealthy’, and anything above 300 is classified as ‘hazardous’.

BDST: 1026 HRS, April 17, 2025
MN/SMS