Dhaka ranked third on the list of cities worldwide with the worst air quality with an AQI index of 181 at 10:58am on Wednesday morning.
Dhaka’s air was classified as "unhealthy", according to the air quality index.
Nepal’s Kathmandu and India’s Delhi occupied the first and second spots on the list, with AQI scores of 257 and 238, respectively.
When the AQI value for particle pollution is between 101 and 150, air quality is unhealthy for sensitive groups, between 150 and 200 is unhealthy, between 201 and 300 is very unhealthy, while a reading of 301+ is hazardous, posing serious health risks to residents.
The AQI, an index for reporting daily air quality, informs people how clean or polluted the air of a city is and what associated health effects might be a concern for them.
The AQI in Bangladesh is based on five pollutants: particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2 and ozone.
Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in winter and improves during the monsoon.