Dhaka Ranks 5th Worst in Air Quality Index

Bangladesh's capital Dhaka ranked fifth-worst in the Air Quality Index (AQI) on Monday morning.

The city had a score of 143 at 08:06am, indicating that the air quality was unhealthy for the sensitive group.

A numerical value between 100 and 150 indicates that members of sensitive groups may experience health effects. The general public is not likely to be affected.

Thailand's Chiang Mai and China's Beijing occupied the first and second spots respectively with scores of 229 and 155 respectively.

Scores between 201 and 300 is classified as 'very unhealthy'. If the score is between 301 and 500, then it is classified as 'hazardous'.

The AQI, an index for reporting daily air quality, tells people how clean or polluted the air of a certain city is, and what associated health effects might be a concern for them.

Dhaka, one of the most densely populated cities in the world, has been grappling with air pollution for a long time. The air quality generally worsens during summer and shows signs of improvement in monsoon when the dust settles.