Aside from all the impressive milestones our country has reached in recent years, there also appears to have been a rise in a number of deadly problems across the country.
One record that the capital, unfortunately, keeps breaking is in terms of the worsening air quality, with Dhaka topping the ranks of the most polluted cities in the world becoming a frequent occurrence.
The Dhaka air quality index (AQI) was recorded at 297 on Thursday morning, which -- while within the "very unhealthy" classification -- is too close to being hazardous for us to take lightly anymore.
Air pollution has gotten progressively worse in our country in recent years, especially with the rapid urbanization that has been a dominant approach towards our development.
While the consequences of poor air quality are known to all, the speed at which our pollution levels are rising calls for immediate action.
Being exposed to near-toxic air for extended periods of time can have severely detrimental impacts on people's lives -- causing long-term physical and mental health problems, and affecting the overall well-being of our people -- and avoiding that should, most certainly, be our priority.
The government's recent initiative to spread awareness on pollution was a worthy one, but a lot more needs to be done in order to find a sustainable solution to the deadly problem.
We have let the issue get far too big, and residents of the city cannot be put in danger any longer. Only drastic measures can help us defeat the ever-present risks of air pollution, and it's time we take this seriously.