Dhaka, Nov. 5 -- Dhaka recorded an air quality index (AQI) level of 171, placing it fifth on the list of the world's most polluted major cities on Thursday morning, according to IQAir.

IQAir, a Swiss-based air quality technology and environmental organisation, operates the world's largest real-time air quality monitoring and data platform tracking live air quality index (AQI), PM2.5 concentrations, and six key pollutants.

The ranking was based on air quality data recorded between 8am and 9am on Nov 5, 2026.

Pakistan's Lahore topped the list with an AQI of 338, putting it in the "hazardous" category, while India's capital Delhi ranked second with a score of 270, classified as "very unhealthy".

Kolkata, another Indian city, stood third ...