NN Online:
Dhaka recorded a ‘moderate’ level of air quality this morning, despite ongoing rainfall. As of 9:32 am on Thursday (July 31, 2025), the capital ranked 55th among cities with the worst air quality, posting an Air Quality Index (AQI) score of 58.
According to the AQI classification, a score between 51 and 100 indicates ‘moderate’ air quality — meaning it poses a minimal health risk for the general population, although sensitive groups are advised to limit prolonged outdoor activities. This air quality level has persisted in Dhaka over the past several days.
AQI scores between 101 and 150 are considered ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’, 151–200 as ‘unhealthy’, 201–300 as ‘very unhealthy’, and anything above 301 is classified as ‘hazardous’, posing serious health threats.
On the global list this morning, Kampala in Uganda topped the rankings with an AQI of 164, followed by Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Minneapolis in the United States — both with scores of 151.
The AQI, which provides daily air quality updates, reflects how clean or polluted the air is and the potential health impacts on residents. Bangladesh’s AQI measurements consider five pollutants: particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide (SO₂), and ground-level ozone.
Dhaka, one of the world’s most densely populated cities, has been battling severe air pollution for years. Its air quality typically deteriorates during the dry winter season and improves during the monsoon due to rain-induced cleansing of airborne pollutants.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution contributes to the premature deaths of around seven million people globally every year, primarily due to heart disease, stroke, chronic respiratory diseases, lung cancer, and acute respiratory infections.
