Dhaka, Feb. 16 -- Dhaka, the densely populated capital of Bangladesh, ranked third among the world's most polluted cities on Monday morning, recording an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 248 at 8:11 am.

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

Dakar in Senegal, Doha in Qatar, and Cairo in Egypt occupied the first, second, and fourth spots on the list, with AQI scores of 380, 254, and 246 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', 151-200 is '...