OBHIZATRIK, CAPS plan eight air monitoring stations

OBHIZATRIK Foundation, in technical collaboration with the Center for Atmospheric Pollution Studies (CAPS), has launched an initiative to expand air quality monitoring in underserved communities in Dhaka through the installation of eight PM2.5 monitoring stations.

PM2.5 refers to airborne particles with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometers that are small enough to penetrate deep into the lungs and even the bloodstream, posing significant health risks.

The project, styled “Breathing Dhaka: Open-Access Hyperlocal PM2.5 Monitoring in Dhaka’s Underserved Communities for Evidence-Based Air Quality Policy”, aims to strengthen community-level air pollution monitoring and support evidence-based policymaking.

Supported by the Air Quality Fund 2026 of the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago, the project was formally introduced at an inception meeting at the Department of Environment (DoE) in Agargaon on Tuesday.

DoE Director General Dr Md Lutfor Rahman attended as chief guest while Farid Ahmed, deputy director, chaired the meeting.

Dr ATM Nurul Amin, emeritus professor of urban environmental management at the Department of Development and Sustainability, attended as a special guest.

Ahmed Imtiaz Jami, president of OBHIZATRIK Foundation, outlined the project's objectives while Dr Ahmad Kamruzzaman Majumder, chairman of CAPS and the project’s technical lead, presented its framework, monitoring approach and proposed implementation process.

The CAPS chairman said the initiative would ensure scientific data collection through proper instrument calibration and cross-validation with the DoE's reference monitors and rigorous quality control. The collected data would be made publicly accessible to support research, raise public awareness and inform policymaking, Majumder added.

The president of OBHIZATRIK said they aim to generate accessible, community-level air quality information while strengthening collaboration with government institutions, research organisations and development partners through the initiative.

“We believe that reliable data, public awareness, community participation and behavioural change are essential to building healthier and more resilient communities,” Jami added.

After the meeting, OBHIZATRIK and CAPS signed a memorandum of understanding to formalise their collaboration and establish a framework for technical cooperation.