In the News
January 18, 2025
Air pollution is responsible for 102,456 deaths annually in Bangladesh, as per a new study by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA).
Titled “Public Health Impacts of Fine Particle Air Pollution in Bangladesh”, the report highlights the severe consequences of particulate matter (PM2.5), which causes diseases such as ischemic heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), lower respiratory infections, and lung cancer.
Young children are particularly vulnerable, with 5,258 deaths annually from PM2.5-related lower respiratory infections.
PM2.5 refers to tiny pollution particles, smaller than a fraction of a human hair, that come from sources like cars, factories, and fires.
In Bangladesh, the amount of these harmful particles in the air averages 79.9 micrograms per cubic metre, which is more than double the country’s safety limit of 35 and 15 times higher than the World Health Organization’s recommended safe level of 5, the report finds.
The report, launched today at the Jatiya Press Club, said Bangladesh ranked as the most polluted country in the world in 2023.
Urban areas face the highest pollution levels, with Dhaka and Chattogram accounting for 48 percent of air pollution-related deaths. Rural and coastal areas experience significantly lower levels of pollution.
CAPS Chairman Prof Ahmad Kamruzzaman Majumder stressed that Dhaka’s rising pollution affects both physical and mental health. He cited the 2024 Air Quality Life Index, which shows air pollution has reduced global life expectancy by 2.7 years, while in Bangladesh, it has decreased by 4.8 years.