Dhaka, Feb. 23 -- Dhaka, the densely populated capital of Bangladesh, ranked first among the world's most polluted cities on Monday morning, recording an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 332 at 9:23 am.

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

Lahore in Pakistan, Delhi in India, and Kolkata in India occupied the second, third, and fourth spots on the list, with AQI scores of 266, 233, and 189 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 '...