This morning (Friday, March 15th) Dhaka's air quality was deemed "very unhealthy," with an Air Quality Index (AQI) score of 166 recorded at 9:37 am. Dhaka secured the fifth position globally among cities with the poorest air quality. Preceding Dhaka on the list were Chiang Mai in Thailand, Kathmandu in Nepal, Beijing in China, and Yangon in Myanmar, with AQI scores of 210, 183, 171, and 166, respectively.

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The AQI scale categorizes levels from 150 to 200 as 'unhealthy', 201 to 300 as 'very unhealthy', and anything exceeding 301 as 'hazardous', posing severe health risks. In Bangladesh, the AQI calculation encompasses five primary pollutants: Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2, and Ozone.

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Dhaka has long grappled with air pollution issues, particularly worsening during winter but improving during the monsoon season. Globally, air pollution consistently ranks among the top risk factors for illness and mortality.

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According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately seven million deaths occur each year worldwide due to air pollution-related illnesses, notably stroke, heart disease, chronic lung problems, lung cancer, and acute respiratory infections.