Dhaka, April 22 -- Over the past nine years, residents of Dhaka have breathed clean air for only 31 days, equivalent to just 1 percent of the time, according to a new study by the Centre for Atmospheric Pollution Studies (CAPS).

Ahmad Kamruzzaman Majumder, chairman of CAPS, shared the findings on Tuesday during a press conference titled "Measures to Control Air Pollution", held at the Dhaka Reporters' Unity to mark Earth Day 2025. The event was jointly organised by the Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (BAPA) and CAPS.

Kamruzzaman said the information was obtained from an analysis of nine years' worth of air quality index (AQI) data between 2016 and 2024, sourced from the US Embassy in Dhaka.

"In the past nine years, Dhaka's residents experi...