In recent days, despite continuous rainfall, Dhaka’s air quality has shown little to no improvement. The city remains consistently ranked at the top globally for air pollution. As of Saturday, April 19, Dhaka again topped the list of the world’s most polluted cities. According to the Air Quality Index (AQI) reading at 8:30 AM, Dhaka scored 173, indicating an unhealthy level of air quality. On Friday, the score was 161, placing it third, while the day before that, it was 186.

Other cities in the top five include Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of Congo) with an AQI of 161, Hanoi (Vietnam) with 153, Delhi (India) with 132, and Kolkata (India) with 129. The AQI data is provided by the Switzerland-based organization IQAir, which reports that ultrafine particulate matter is the main contributor to Dhaka’s air pollution. High levels of pollution are linked to respiratory diseases, heart problems, and long-term risks like cancer.

According to global standards, an AQI below 50 is considered good, 51–100 is moderate, 101–150 is unhealthy for sensitive groups, 151–200 is unhealthy for everyone, 201–300 is very unhealthy, and anything above 300 is considered hazardous.

A 2023 study published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) revealed that air pollution caused by fossil fuels leads to approximately 5.2 million deaths annually worldwide. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that combined exposure to household and ambient air pollution results in 6.7 million deaths each year.

Due to persistently poor air quality in Dhaka, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has advised the public to wear masks when going outdoors and urged vulnerable groups, such as children and the elderly, to avoid going outside unless absolutely necessary. Authorities have also issued directives to stop burning solid waste, ensure proper covering of construction sites and materials, use protective measures during transport, spray water at construction areas twice a day, and prevent old or smoke-emitting vehicles from operating on the roads.