Air pollution continues to rise in cities worldwide due to climate change and urbanization, and Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, remains among the most polluted. As of 9:30 AM on Sunday, June 1, data from the international air quality monitoring organization IQAir ranked Dhaka 9th globally, with an Air Quality Index (AQI) score of 103 — categorized as unhealthy for sensitive groups.

At the same time, Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, topped the list with a score of 158, followed by Santiago in Chile with 157, Delhi in India with 121, Medan in Indonesia with 112, and Riyadh in Saudi Arabia with 109. According to AQI standards, a score between 0 and 50 is considered good, 51 to 100 is moderate, and 101 to 150 is unhealthy for sensitive individuals. A score between 151 and 200 is deemed unhealthy for the general population, while 201 to 300 is very unhealthy, and 301 to 400 poses serious health risks, especially for children, the elderly, and those with existing health conditions.