"Every year, 7 million people worldwide die due to air pollution:" WHO

At 9:10 am this morning, Dhaka's air quality index (AQI) score of 164 placed it seventh out of all cities in the world with the poorest air quality.

The top three cities on the list were Chengdu, China, Delhi, and Kolkata, India, with AQI values of 186, 246, and 360, respectively.

An AQI level of 101 to 150 is deemed "unhealthy," 201 to 300 is deemed "very unhealthy," and 301 and higher is deemed "hazardous," presenting major health hazards to locals.

Five criterion pollutants are used to calculate the air quality index (AQI) in Bangladesh: particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2, and ozone.


Air pollution has always been a problem in Dhaka. Usually, the winter months bring on unhealthy air quality, which then improves during the monsoon.

Across the globe, air pollution is often ranked as one of the major risk factors for both death and disability.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that air pollution kills seven million people annually globally, mostly due to higher rates of stroke, heart disease, lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and acute respiratory infections.