Dhaka residents breathe clean air for only 31 days in 9 yrs

Residents of Dhaka have inhaled clean air for just 31 days out of a total of 3,114 days in the past nine years, according to data analysed by the Centre for Atmospheric Pollution Studies (CAPS).

During the nine years, the air quality was classified as unhealthy for 853 days, while it was very unhealthy for 635 days and hazardous for 93 days.

The CAPS released these findings at a press conference at the Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU) on Tuesday, in collaboration with the Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (BAPA).

In a written statement, CAPS chairman Ahmad Kamruzzaman noted that the capital city witnessed the worst quality of air in January last year over the past nine years, with an average air quality index (AQI) of 300. In contrast, the best air quality was recorded in July 2021, with an average AQI of 97.

According to a latest report of IQAir, Bangladesh has consistently ranked among the world's most polluted countries in recent years. It topped the list in 2021 and 2023, and ranked second in 2024. Dhaka also ranked third among the most polluted cities globally last year.

At the district level, Gazipur has the highest levels of air pollution in the country, as the presence of ultrafine particles here is 18 times above the World Health Organization (WHO) standard. Sylhet is the least polluted district, despite having ultrafine particle levels at 9.7 times higher than the WHO standard and 3.23 times higher than the national annual standard of Bangladesh.

To address the issues, the BAPA and the CAPS presented some recommendations, including phasing out unfit and expired vehicles as well as promoting electric and hybrid ones, taking initiatives to increase production and use of block bricks, stopping open waste burning and generating electricity from waste, reducing fossil fuel consumption to zero, reforming existing energy policies, enacting a clean air law, setting emissions standards as per global standard for power plants and industries, and ensuring their strict enforcement.

Shahidul Islam, chairman of the geography department at Dhaka University, said the government must now take stringent action to combat air pollution. People are aware, and now the government should go for the policy implementation.

BAPA vice president Emeritus Professor M Firoze Ahmed said the sources and ways of air pollution should be identified.

In its report, the CAPS collected data from the United States embassy in Dhaka from 2016 to 2024.