Dhaka’s air quality stayed in the ‘unhealthy’ category on Wednesday morning, with an Air Quality Index (AQI) reading of 151 at 10:30 am, ranking the Bangladeshi capital ninth among the world’s most polluted cities.

Lahore in Pakistan topped the list with an alarming AQI of 540, followed by Delhi (253) and Beijing (206).

According to the AQI scale, a score between 150 and 200 is considered unhealthy for the general population. Air quality between 101 and 150 is unhealthy for sensitive groups, while readings from 201 to 300 are very unhealthy and those above 300 are deemed hazardous, posing severe health risks.

The AQI measures five key pollutants: PM10, PM2.5, nitrogen dioxide (NO?), carbon monoxide (CO), sulphur dioxide (SO?), and ozone (O?).

Dhaka has long struggled with poor air quality, particularly during the dry winter months when dust and emissions rise sharply. Conditions typically improve during the monsoon season.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that air pollution causes around seven million deaths globally each year, primarily linked to stroke, heart disease, chronic respiratory illnesses, lung cancer, and acute infections.