Dhaka, the overcrowded capital of Bangladesh, topped the list of cities with the worst air quality on Friday morning, recording an Air Quality Index (AQI) score of 273 at 8:25am. The air was classified as “very unhealthy”, according to the global air quality and pollution city ranking. China’s Shanghai and India’s Delhi ranked second and third on the list, with AQI scores of 232 and 216 respectively. The AQI is an index used to report daily air quality, indicating how clean or polluted the air is and the potential health effects associated with exposure. Dhaka has long struggled with air pollution, with air quality typically deteriorating during the winter months and improving during the monsoon season.

Source: Dhaka Tribune January 16, 2026 04:12 UTC