Dhaka’s air quality deteriorated sharply on Thursday morning, ranking ninth among the world’s most polluted cities with an Air Quality Index (AQI) reading of 158 at 10:30 am.

After two days of ‘moderate’ conditions, the capital’s air slipped back into the ‘unhealthy’ category, signalling increased health risks for residents. According to AQI standards, readings between 150 and 200 are considered ‘unhealthy’, meaning the entire population may begin to experience adverse health effects, with sensitive groups at higher risk.

The most polluted cities at the time were Delhi (487), Lahore (366), and Tashkent (244), occupying the top three positions on the global list.

Bangladesh’s AQI assessment is based on five major pollutants: PM2.5, PM10, NO₂, CO, SO₂ and ozone. Dhaka has struggled with persistent air pollution for years, typically seeing the worst air quality during the dry winter months, with some improvement during the monsoon.

The World Health Organization warns that air pollution claims around seven million lives annually, driving deaths from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and respiratory infections.