Dhaka ranked 15th among the world's most polluted cities on Saturday morning, recording an Air Quality Index (AQI) score of 88 at 9:03 am.

According to the AQI ranking, the capital's air quality was classified as ‘moderate’.

Malaysia’s Kuching, Indonesia’s Jakarta and China’s Chengdu occupied the first three spots on the list with AQI scores of 267, 161 and 152, respectively.

Under the AQI scale, a reading between 50 and 100 is considered ‘moderate’, indicating generally acceptable air quality. However, unusually sensitive individuals may experience minor health concerns and are advised to limit prolonged outdoor exertion.

An AQI reading between 101 and 150 is considered ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’, while 151–200 is categorised as ‘unhealthy’. Readings between 201 and 300 are regarded as ‘very unhealthy’, and levels above 301 are considered ‘hazardous’, posing serious health risks to the population.

The AQI is an index used to report daily air quality and inform people about how clean or polluted the air is, as well as the potential health effects associated with pollution levels.

In Bangladesh, the AQI is calculated based on five major pollutants: particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO), sulphur dioxide (SO2), and ozone.

Dhaka has long struggled with air pollution. Air quality typically worsens during the winter months and improves with the arrival of the monsoon season.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution causes around seven million deaths worldwide each year, mainly due to stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), lung cancer and acute respiratory infections.