Bangladesh’s capital, Dhaka, ranked as the sixth most polluted city in the world on Monday morning, November 9, 2026.
According to real-time data published by Switzerland-based air quality monitoring organization IQAir at 8:00 AM, Dhaka recorded an Air Quality Index (AQI) score of 157, categorizing its air as 'Unhealthy' (151–200 range). Concurrently, Lahore, Pakistan, topped the global list as the most polluted city with a hazardous AQI score of 448. Kolkata, India, ranked second with a score of 185, followed by Delhi, India (180) in third, Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina (172) in fourth, and Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia (165) in fifth place.
Read nextOfficial Entourage Announced for PM Tarique Rahman’s COP-31 Visit to TurkeyIn Bangladesh, AQI ratings are calculated based on five major criteria pollutants: particulate matter ($\text{PM}_{10}$ and $\text{PM}_{2.5}$), nitrogen dioxide ($\text{NO}_2$), carbon monoxide ($\text{CO}$), sulfur dioxide ($\text{SO}_2$), and ozone ($\text{O}_3$). Joint assessments by the Department of Environment (DoE) and the World Bank identify brick kilns, vehicle exhaust, and construction dust as the primary drivers of Dhaka's deteriorating air quality. The World Health Organization (WHO) warns that exposure to elevated AQI levels escalates risks of stroke, cardiovascular disease, chronic lung illness, and acute respiratory infections, particularly among children, the elderly, and pregnant women.
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Reported by Staff Reporter • Edited by the Daily Best News desk. Send corrections to [email protected].
