Dhaka ranked 171st out of 173 cities in the Global Liveability Index 2025 published by London-based research firm Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU). Only war-ravaged Damascus in Syria and Tripoli in Libya ranked below the Bangladeshi capital. At the same time, Dhaka has also featured among the world’s most polluted cities in global air quality indices.
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) formed the government on February 17 by securing an absolute majority in the 13th parliamentary election. On that very day, Dhaka ranked second among 121 cities worldwide in air pollution levels, with air quality classified as “very unhealthy”. This is not an isolated occurrence but a daily reality. The interim government also failed to bring Dhaka’s pollution under control or ensure its liveability. Over the past one and a half years, there has been no significant improvement due to the absence of effective measures to address air pollution, waste management crises, waterlogging, and the shortage of green spaces.
Experts say Dhaka’s air quality remains at hazardous levels for most of the year. Open waste burning, dust from construction activities, black smoke from vehicles, encroachment of water bodies, and unplanned urbanisation have compounded the crisis. Urban planners cite the lack of a long-term strategy and poor coordination among relevant agencies as major contributing factors.
The impacts of encroachment on rivers and canals, deforestation, and the neglect of environmental considerations in large infrastructure projects are now evident. Air pollution is contributing to premature deaths, respiratory illnesses, and other health conditions, reducing productivity and increasing healthcare costs. Against this fragile environmental and liveability backdrop, the new government has assumed office. However, experts warn that failure to demonstrate effective leadership on these issues could further worsen the country’s overall situation.
Professor Dr ASM Saifullah believes the BNP government faces a dual environmental challenge regarding the environment — addressing nationwide environmental degradation while restoring Dhaka’s liveability. The professor of Environmental Science at Mawlana Bhashani Science and Technology University said the country as a whole is currently in an environmentally vulnerable state. In this context, the foremost challenge for the new administration is to transform Dhaka back into a liveable city.
“Dhaka is gradually turning into an uninhabitable city,” Dr Saifullah said. “Pollution in the capital is no longer just an environmental issue; it’s also an economic one. A city plagued by traffic congestion and dust can never be investment-friendly. Every day, thousands fall ill and face the risk of premature death due to air pollution. The government must act in a planned manner to overcome this situation. In particular, freeing footpaths from encroachment and designating separate lanes for motorised and non-motorised vehicles could significantly reduce air pollution.”
In 2024, an environmental index covering 180 countries placed Bangladesh 172nd. The index assessed air quality, access to safe drinking water, sanitation, climate change performance, biodiversity conservation, and carbon emissions. It was jointly published by the Yale Center for Environmental Law & Policy, Columbia University’s Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN), and the McCall MacBain Foundation. Bangladesh scored only 15 out of 100 in the index.
Meanwhile, a study by Finland-based research organisation Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) found that 48 percent of air pollution-related deaths occur in the cities of Dhaka and Chattogram. The study analysed satellite data, international databases, and the government website data, covering the period from 2022 to 2024.
The research report states that preventing the presence of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in the air could avert 102,456 deaths annually in Bangladesh. Children under the age of five are the most vulnerable to air pollution; curbing it could prevent 5,254 child deaths each year. In addition, it estimates that pollution control could prevent 29,920 deaths from heart disease, 23,075 from stroke, 20,976 from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), 9,720 from pneumonia (lower respiratory infections), and 3,063 from lung cancer annually. In addition, air pollution also increases overall healthcare expenditures, reduces productivity, and results in substantial loss of working hours across the country.
Experts say the environment received the least attention during the tenure of the previous Bangladesh Awami League government. The coal-fired power plant at Rampal in Bagerhat caused extensive damage to the Sundarbans' biodiversity. Construction of the Padma Bridge has altered the once-mighty Padma River, with vast stretches now turning into sandbanks. Similarly, the Dhaka–Cox’s Bazar railway line has destroyed habitats of elephants and other wildlife. In the silence of regulatory bodies such as the Department of Environment (DoE) and the National River Conservation Commission (NRCC), significant portions of the country’s rivers, canals, and wetlands have either dried up or become ecologically dead. In megacities like Dhaka, government housing, office, and road construction projects have filled canals, water bodies, and historic open fields marked in CS maps, further undermining the capital’s liveability.
Amid this environmental deterioration, the interim government assumed office in August 2024. Over the past one and a half years, Bangladesh’s position in environmental indices has declined further. The government has shown no visible progress in addressing fundamental issues such as air, water, and soil pollution. Environmental activists allege that the environment, forests, and rivers have suffered additional damage during the interim administration, which has already experienced degradation in the past, particularly through increased encroachment on rivers and canals.
Muhammad Monir Hossain, chairman of the Bangladesh River Foundation, told Bonik Barta, “The major problem is that whoever comes to power, they tend to treat issues like environment, rivers, and forests as luxury concerns. This perspective must change. Rivers should be seen as economic assets, tourism resources, fisheries hubs, and water sources. Today, major rivers lack fish, water is polluted, and they fail to attract tourists. As a result, we bring water from distant sources and sell it to the public at high cost, use toxic chemicals in fish farming, and lose tourism revenue to other countries. This stems from a flawed perception of rivers.”
Restoring the proper perspective on rivers will be the new government’s first major challenge, he said. “The government's foremost goals should be recognising rivers as living entities. Once it acknowledges that rivers have life, it will take effective initiatives to restore the ailing waterways.”
Environmental risks in Bangladesh are steadily rising due to climate change. Over the past decade, air pollution in Dhaka has worsened alarmingly. Even on Friday, a public holiday, at around 9:30 am, Dhaka topped the list of the world’s most polluted cities according to the air quality index published by IQAir. Furthermore, the intensity of pollution left the sky appearing almost overcast. The Meteorological Department said such haze is common in winter due to severe air pollution. The crisis is no longer confined to the capital. Severe air pollution has spread to major cities, including Gazipur, Narayanganj, Mymensingh, Rajshahi, and Rangpur. Experts warn that air pollution is rapidly emerging as the principal challenge for other cities across the country.
Highlighting that pollution has spread from rivers to the sea, Professor Dr Md Moniruzzaman of the Department of Geography & Environment at Jagannath University told Bonik Barta, “Our soil, water, and air have all become contaminated. This is damaging our agricultural and fisheries resources, while toxic elements are entering the human body, causing serious diseases, including cancer. In such circumstances, the government must prioritise this issue. Separate initiatives are also needed for the Sundarbans. The Sundarbans isn’t only a resource but also a protective shield. During major natural disasters, it has consistently acted as a shield.”
Noting that Bangladesh is among the countries most vulnerable to climate change, he said, “Climate impacts are dragging down our agriculture, fisheries, public health, and overall economy. We may earn substantial foreign exchange through exports, but much of that income is later spent on healthcare due to air pollution. Untimely rainfall destroying crops is another example. The new government must therefore negotiate skilfully at both national and international levels on climate-related issues.”
Meanwhile, large parts of the country, including Dhaka, remain exposed to risks of landslides, earthquakes, and fire incidents. The reasons for these are vulnerabilities to unplanned urbanisation, depletion of groundwater, and the unusable condition of the water in the river and canal. Experts advise the new government to take coordinated action on these fronts. They also stress the need for planned measures to address encroachment on reserved forests, wildlife killing and trafficking, declining navigability and the closure of river routes.
RAJUK Chief Town Planner Md Ashraful Islam emphasised the importance of prioritising public transport and public spaces to restore Dhaka’s liveability. Referring to Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha, he told Bonik Barta, “The government must first focus on public transport and public spaces. Dhaka residents are suffering from a lack of quality mass transit. At the same time, there are insufficient parks and open fields for recreation. Existing parks and fields must be freed from encroachment and reopened to the public, and new ones developed. Footpaths must be made accessible for pedestrians at any cost.”
He further underscored the urgency of long-term planning and decentralisation by spreading services and infrastructure beyond Dhaka. “If the government can achieve even 50 percent improvement from the current situation, it would be a significant accomplishment,” he said.
Although the BNP’s election manifesto pledged to recover 20 playgrounds in Dhaka, excavate canals, and undertake tree plantation drives, it didn’t provide detailed guidelines on addressing environmental degradation. However, Environment, Forest and Climate Change Adviser Abdul Awal Mintoo said the government is giving serious consideration to the worsening crisis. Speaking to Bonik Barta, he said, “The country’s environmental condition is extremely poor. Air pollution is reducing life expectancy. Noise pollution has reached alarming levels. Rivers and canals are heavily polluted. In this context, we’re considering what can be done. There’s no alternative in terms of reducing pollution. However, discussions are underway on the appropriate course of action. We’re already working on a 180-day action plan and expect to provide a clear guideline within the next three to four days.”