Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka has ranked second among cities with the worst air quality.

The city had an Air Quality Index (AQI) score of 233, indicating “very unhealthy” air quality, at 9.34am on today (Feb 26). 

Pakistan’s Lahore (273) ranked first and India’s Kolkata (215) ranked third on the list among the cities.

An AQI score between 51 and 100 means the air quality is moderate. It is categorised as unhealthy for sensitive groups if the score remains between 101 and 150.

When the score ranges between 151 and 200, it is considered unhealthy.

Similarly, an AQI score of 201 to 300 is considered as “very unhealthy”, an emergency with health warnings. In this situation, children, the elderly, and sick patients are urged to limit their indoor and outdoor activities.

Dhaka’s air quality was ranked unhealthy, but the PM2.5 concentration in Dhaka was 31.6 times higher than the WHO annual air quality guideline value.

Being one of the world’s most densely populated cities, Dhaka has been struggling with poor air quality for a long time. The quality deteriorates further during the summer and winter but improves slightly in the monsoon.