Pollution Dominates Dhaka’s Holiday Morning
- Update Time : 05:26:51 am, Friday, 18 April 2025
- / 290 Time View
Despite recent days of rainfall, Dhaka’s air quality has shown little improvement. On Friday, April 18, even though it was a public holiday, the city’s air remained “unhealthy,” according to the Air Quality Index (AQI). As of 8:45 AM, Dhaka ranked second among the world’s most polluted cities with an AQI score of 189. Senegal’s capital, Dakar, topped the list with a score of 269. Lahore in Pakistan followed with 165, Hanoi in Vietnam with 163, and Delhi in India with 160.
An AQI between 50 and 100 is considered “moderate,” while a score from 101 to 150 is “unhealthy for sensitive groups.” When the AQI ranges from 151 to 200, the air is categorized as “unhealthy” for the general public. Levels from 201 to 300 are considered “very unhealthy,” and anything above 300 is labeled “hazardous,” posing serious health risks.
Bangladesh’s AQI is calculated based on five key pollutants: particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide (SO₂), and ozone (O₃). According to the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution contributes to approximately 7 million deaths globally each year, primarily from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and acute respiratory infections.
