Dhaka, the overcrowded capital of Bangladesh, ranked fourth on the list of cities with the worst air quality on Friday morning, recording an Air Quality Index (AQI) score of 129 at 9:30 am.

According to the index, the city’s air was classified as “unhealthy for sensitive groups,” posing health risks particularly to children, the elderly, and people with respiratory issues.

Pakistan’s Lahore topped the list with an AQI of 156, followed by Iraq’s Baghdad at 145, and India’s Delhi at 144.

The AQI categorizes air quality as “moderate” between 50–100, “unhealthy for sensitive groups” between 101–150, “unhealthy” between 151–200, “very unhealthy” between 201–300, and “hazardous” above 301.

Air quality in Bangladesh is measured based on five pollutants—PM2.5, PM10, NO2, CO, SO2, and ozone. Dhaka has long struggled with pollution, with air quality typically worsening in winter and improving during the monsoon.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that air pollution causes seven million premature deaths annually worldwide, linked to diseases such as stroke, heart disease, lung cancer, and respiratory infections.

MN/