It is a matter of genuine concern that, as per analysis of Stamford University’s Centre for Atmospheric Pollution Studies (CAPS), Dhaka's average score in the Air Quality Index (AQI) was 171 in 2023.
That means that for every day of 2023, Bangladeshis breathed air that was termed unhealthy as per the World Health Organization, a trend that has been noted over the past three years, with the pollution only getting worse every year.
Air pollution’s effects on the body at this point is well known, and for Bangladesh, it cuts the average Bangladeshi’s lifespan by close to seven years, and is a direct cause of numerous diseases and ailments.
This begs the question: What good is all of the development that Bangladesh is experiencing year after year if it is simultaneously contributing to a whole host of health issues for the very people this development is geared towards?
Unchecked urbanization -- of which our megaprojects and construction, mostly in an unsustainable manner with bricks and materials that are far from eco-friendly -- is among the primary sources of this worsening air quality. Suffice to say, moving forward, we need to do a much better job.
Bangladesh will not stop its development trajectory but if we are to move towards becoming Smart Bangladesh, it must happen in a far more sustainable and eco-friendly manner. As things stand now, our development is coming at the cost of our lungs. This cannot be the model that we adhere to for the long-term health of this nation and its people.
