Dhaka ranked 28th among cities with the worst air quality on Wednesday morning (September 17, 2025), recording an Air Quality Index (AQI) score of 68 at 9:00 am. According to the AQI scale, this places the capital’s air in the ‘moderate’ category, indicating a low health risk for the general public but a potential concern for sensitive individuals.

An AQI score between 51 and 100 is considered ‘moderate’, meaning the air quality is generally acceptable, though people with respiratory issues or other sensitivities may want to limit extended outdoor activity. The AQI classification becomes progressively more serious with higher values: 101–150 is ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’, 151–200 is ‘unhealthy’, 201–300 is ‘very unhealthy’, and anything above 301 is considered ‘hazardous’.

On the global AQI list this morning, Jakarta, Baghdad, and Dubai topped the rankings as the most polluted cities, with AQI scores of 177, 166, and 158 respectively — all falling in the ‘unhealthy’ range.

The AQI is a tool used worldwide to report daily air quality by measuring key pollutants including PM2.5, PM10, nitrogen dioxide (NO?), carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide (SO?), and ozone (O?). Bangladesh`s AQI is based on these five pollutants.

Dhaka has consistently faced severe air pollution, particularly during the winter months, when dust, construction emissions, and other factors combine to degrade air quality significantly. Air conditions generally improve during the monsoon season due to rainfall, which helps clear particulates from the air.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution is a major global health threat, contributing to an estimated seven million deaths annually. Health risks include stroke, heart disease, lung cancer, chronic respiratory diseases, and acute respiratory infections.