Dhaka’s air ‘very unhealthy’, 2nd worst in the world

Dhaka ranks second on the list of cities worldwide with the worst air quality, with an AQI score of 219 at 8:55 am on Wednesday.

According to the air quality index, Dhaka’s air was classified as 'very unhealthy'— posing serious health risks to residents.

India’s Kolkata, and China’s Wuhan occupied the first and third spots on the list, with AQI scores of 278 and 212 respectively.

When the AQI value for particle pollution is 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.

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.

The AQI in Bangladesh is based on five pollutants: particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2, and ozone.