Dhaka, Feb. 18 -- Dhaka, the densely populated capital of Bangladesh, ranked third among the world's most polluted cities on Wednesday morning, recording an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 222 at 10:20 am.

Today, the city's air was classified as 'very unhealthy', indicating a serious health threat, according to the AQI report.

Lahore in Pakistan, Dakar in Senegal, and Kolakata in India occupied the first, second, and fourth spots on the list, with AQI scores of 254, 225, and 201 respectively.

According to the AQI scale, a reading between 50 and 100 is considered 'moderate', with generally acceptable air quality, though sensitive individuals should limit prolonged outdoor exertion. AQI levels of 101-150 are 'unhealthy for sensitive groups', ...