Bangladeshi cities have fallen a lot in the latest ‘Oxford Economics Global Cities Index 2026’ rankings. This index measures key cities around the world based on quality of life, sustainability, and economic strength.
The world index, published on 16 September 2026, shows that eight big cities in the country, including the capital Dhaka, have lost their rankings and fallen lower on the list because of bad environmental problems, pollution, and poor leadership.
Key assessment criteria and environmental crisis: The survey included 1,000 cities from 163 countries. It assessed five key areas: economy, human resources, quality of life, environment, and governance.
Dhaka is doing better than other cities in some economic areas, but its environmental situation is very bad. Due to unplanned urbanization, excessive air and noise pollution, and a lack of green spaces, Dhaka has plummeted 32 places in the global rankings to the 515th position. Meanwhile, other key cities such as Rajshahi (779th), Chattogram (763rd), Khulna, and Sylhet have also slipped significantly due to weaknesses in environmental conditions and governance.
Urban heatwaves and the living conditions crisis: Researchers observed that building without planning and filling in rivers and lakes has made the ‘Urban Heat Island’ effect worse in cities like Chattogram and Dhaka, making them harder to live in.
Conclusion and Green Page Perspective: The consistent decline of Bangladeshi cities in this international index demonstrates that conventional infrastructure development alone cannot create sustainable cities.
Green Page thinks that to compete globally, cities must improve their environment, keep water clean, and control pollution tightly.
