Acute respiratory infections caused by air pollution are the most prevalent diseases in Bangladesh, says the World Bank (WB). "Bangladesh can avoid 15,000 deaths a year if air pollution in Dhaka, Chittagong, Rajshahi and Khulna is reduced to permissible limits,' said Paul Martin of the WB's Dhaka office. Improving air quality will also reduce illness caused by pollution that affect 6.5 million people. The annual economic cost of these avoidable diseases is estimated to be between us $200-800 million.