With an air quality index (AQI) score of 180 at 9:08 am today, the capital of Bangladesh ranked third in the list of cities worldwide with the worst air quality.

Pakistan’s Lahore and Thailand’s Chiang Mai occupied the first and the second spots, with AQI scores of 243 and 187, respectively. 

The AQI in Bangladesh is based on five pollutants: particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2, and ozone.

Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in winter and improves during the monsoon.

As per World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year, mainly due to increased mortality from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and acute respiratory infections.