Dhaka ranked 5th worst in the Air Quality Index (AQI) on Monday morning.

The capital ranked 5th worst in the Air Quality Index (AQI) with a score of 129 at 10:07 am. The air was classified as ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’.

When the AQI remains in between 101 and 150, members of sensitive groups may experience health effects. The general public is less likely to be affected in this condition.

Pakistan’s Lahore, Indonesia’s Jakarta, China’s Chengdu occupied the first three spots in the list of cities with the worst air with scores of 224, 180 and 153 respectively.

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

In Bangladesh, the AQI is based on five criteria pollutants – Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2 and Ozone.

Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution. Its air quality usually improves during monsoon.