Dhaka, March 28 -- Over 272,000 premature deaths occur in Bangladesh per year due to air pollution, unsafe water, poor sanitation and hygiene, and lead exposure, says a new report of the World Bank.

The report titled 'Building Back a Greener Bangladesh: Country Environmental Analysis 2023' was revealed at a city hotel here in presence of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Saber Hossain Chowdhury.

The Bangladesh Country Environmental Analysis finds air pollution, unsafe water, poor sanitation and hygiene, and lead exposure cause over 272,000 premature deaths and 5.2 billion days of illness annually.

These environmental costs were equivalent to 17.6 percent of Bangladesh's GDP in 2019. Household and outdoor air pollution hav...