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Fine particulate matter in the air may be invisible to the naked eye, but it is claiming an average of 242 lives every day in Bangladesh, according to a new study.
The research found that air pollution is driving premature deaths from non-communicable diseases, including heart disease, stroke, chronic respiratory illnesses and lung cancer, while also reducing productivity and imposing a heavy economic burden on the country.
The study was conducted by the Climate Change, Air Quality and Health Research Unit under the Department of Public Health and Informatics at Jahangirnagar University. It was recently published in the internationally recognised journal Pollution.
Supervised by Associate Professor Md Sakhawat Hossain, chairman of the department, the study assessed the health and economic impacts of PM2.5 (fine particulate matter) pollution in six major cities—Dhaka, Chattogram, Rajshahi, Khulna, Sylhet and Barishal.
The findings show that PM2.5 pollution causes an estimated 88,240 premature deaths every year across the six cities. This translates to about 260 deaths per 100,000 people, or an average of 242 deaths each day.
Researchers estimated the annual economic loss at around $23 billion, equivalent to approximately Tk 2.8 trillion at the current exchange rate—about 5 percent of Bangladesh’s gross domestic product (GDP).
The study found that heart disease accounts for the largest share of air pollution-related deaths, with an estimated 37,519 fatalities annually.
In addition, around 8,344 people die each year from chronic respiratory diseases, while 811 deaths are attributed to lung cancer linked to PM2.5 exposure.
Dhaka recorded the highest number of PM2.5-related premature deaths among the six cities, with an estimated 68,703 fatalities annually. Chattogram ranked second with 11,202 deaths, followed by Rajshahi (2,827), Khulna (2,625), Sylhet (1,488) and Barishal (1,395).
Using data from 2013 to 2021, the researchers found a consistent increase in air pollution-related premature deaths across all six cities.
The situation is most alarming in Dhaka, where an average of 3,484 additional deaths are linked to PM2.5 pollution each year, indicating a rapid deterioration in urban air quality.
“We often view air pollution solely as an environmental issue. However, our research shows that it is also a major public health and economic crisis,” said Md Sakhawat Hossain, the lead researcher.
“Nearly 88,000 premature deaths and economic losses equivalent to about 5 percent of GDP each year should serve as a strong warning for policymakers. Without immediate and effective intervention, the damage will only worsen.”
Despite the alarming findings, the researchers said a significant share of these deaths and economic losses could be prevented if World Health Organization (WHO) air quality guidelines were effectively implemented.
They recommended adopting evidence-based policies to reduce PM2.5 emissions, tightening controls on industrial and vehicular pollution, strengthening integrated urban air quality management, and taking coordinated action to protect public health.
