Under the influence of the cyclonic storm ‘Remal’, Dhaka’s air quality significantly improved, registering an AQI score of 49 at 9 am this morning. This marked a significant improvement from yesterday's AQI score of 132, which placed Dhaka's air quality in the ‘unhealthy’ zone.

An AQI score of 49 falls under the ‘moderate’ category. The Air Quality Index (AQI) classifies air quality as follows:

- 0-50: Good

- 51-100: Moderate

- 101-150: Unhealthy for sensitive groups

- 151-200: Unhealthy

- 201-300: Very unhealthy

- 301+: Hazardous

On the global list of cities with poor air quality, India’s Delhi, Indonesia’s Jakarta, and Pakistan’s Lahore were ranked first, second, and third with AQI scores of 274, 178, and 174, respectively.

The AQI in Bangladesh is determined based on five key pollutants: particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and ozone.

Dhaka has struggled with air pollution for a long time, typically experiencing worse air quality in the winter and improvements during the monsoon season.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution is responsible for an estimated seven million deaths annually worldwide, primarily due to increased rates of stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and acute respiratory infections.