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Dhaka ranks worst in Air Quality Index Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka ranked worst in the Air Quality Index (AQI) on Sunday morning, reports UNB.. It had an AQI score of 258 at 08:44am. The air was classified as ‘very unhealthy’. India’s Delhi and Pakistan’s Lahore occupied the second and third positions in the list of cities with worst air with AQI scores of 257 and 255 respectively. Earlier, Dhaka had topped the list on 17 and 23 November, 26 December and 6, 29, and 31 January. The city has been continuously staying within the five most polluted cities around the world. The AQI is a tool for measuring daily air quality of any city or country. It refers to the degree of pollution or cleanliness of the air. An AQI score between 201 and 300 indicates the air is unhealthy while a value over 300 refers the air is highly dangerous with possible serious health complications. In Bangladesh, the AQI is based on five criteria pollutants including Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2 and Ozone (O3). The environment department has also set national ambient air quality standards for these pollutants. These standards aim to protect against adverse human health impacts. Dhaka has long been suffering from a number of environmental pollutions including that of air.