Regional updates: Air pollution in Dhaka and social initiatives in South Asia

Various regional developments are reported across South Asia. In Dhaka, air quality has reached unhealthy levels, with IQAir ranking the city second most polluted globally behind Kuala Lumpur. Major contributors to this pollution include brick kilns, unregulated vehicle emissions, and construction dust.

At Dhaka University, the Central Students' Union (DUCSU) released its one-year accountability report. Leaders highlighted initiatives in transportation, legal aid, and campus infrastructure, while claiming that government and administration non-cooperation hindered several manifesto goals.

In India, Narendra Modi highlighted the Annapurna Yojana scheme, aimed at empowering women in West Bengal by providing direct financial assistance to their bank accounts to foster independence and decision-making power.

Other reports include a youth advocacy meeting in Tala, Satkhira, focused on strengthening nexus programming for climate justice and social stability, and an analysis of the environmental cost of Artificial Intelligence, noting the significant water consumption required to cool data centers during AI processing.