Dhaka’s air quality remained in the 'moderate' zone this morning, with an air quality index (AQI) score of 81 at 9:00 am, placing it 21st among cities worldwide with the worst air quality.

Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lahore in Pakistan, and Kathmandu in Nepal topped the list, with AQI scores of 216, 153, and 152 respectively.

An AQI between 51 and 100 is considered 'moderate', 101 to 150 is 'unhealthy', 201 to 300 is 'very unhealthy', and 301 and above is deemed 'hazardous', posing serious health risks.

In Bangladesh, the AQI is determined based on five pollutants: Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2, and Ozone. Dhaka has struggled with air pollution for a long time, with air quality deteriorating in winter and improving during the monsoon.

According to the World Health Organization, air pollution causes an estimated seven million deaths annually worldwide, mainly due to increased mortality from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and acute respiratory infections.