✍️ Edited by Farhan Ahmed, Editor, MedTestBD · Last updated: July 2026
What a CBC Test Tells You
A Complete Blood Count (CBC) looks at the cells moving through your blood: red cells that carry oxygen, white cells that fight infection, and platelets that clot. From one small sample a lab can flag anaemia, an active infection, a clotting problem, or something more serious like a blood cancer. It is the test doctors in Bangladesh order more than almost any other, partly because it is cheap and fast, and partly because it catches so many common problems early.
Why Your Doctor Orders a CBC
Most CBCs are done for one of three reasons: a routine checkup, a specific symptom like tiredness, weakness, repeated fevers, or easy bruising, or to track a condition already being treated. In Bangladesh there is a fourth reason that matters for months every year. During dengue season, a CBC is the test that tracks your platelet count, and a falling platelet count is what tells a doctor whether a dengue patient can stay home or needs hospital care. If you have a fever during monsoon, expect a CBC, often repeated daily.
What the Numbers Mean
A CBC report lists several values. The ones patients ask about most:
- Haemoglobin — carries oxygen. Low means anaemia. Normal is roughly 13.5–17.5 g/dL for men and 12.0–15.5 g/dL for women.
- White cell count — 4,000–11,000 per µL. High usually points to infection, low to certain immune or viral conditions.
- Platelets — 150,000–400,000 per µL. This is the number watched closely in dengue. Below 150,000 is low; below 100,000 usually means closer monitoring or admission.
Ranges vary slightly between labs, and a value outside the range does not by itself mean disease. Your doctor reads it against your symptoms. (Reference ranges here follow MedlinePlus.)
CBC Test Price in Bangladesh
Where you go changes the price more than most people expect. A CBC costs about BDT 150 at NILMRC (a government lab in Dhaka) and up to BDT 480 at Parkview Hospital in Chittagong — the same test, more than three times the price. Government and public labs like NILMRC, PG Hospital (BSMMU), and Chittagong Medical College sit at the low end, usually BDT 150–300. Private chains like Popular, Labaid, and Ibrahim Cardiac cluster around BDT 400. For a routine CBC the result is the same everywhere, so for a simple checkup the cheaper labs do the job. Compare current CBC prices across all listed centers →
Before You Go
No fasting is needed for a CBC, so eat and drink normally. Drinking water beforehand makes the blood draw easier. Tell the lab about iron tablets, steroids, or blood thinners, since these can shift the result. If you are being tested during a fever, keep every report — for dengue the trend across days matters more than any single reading.
Normal ranges cited on this page are based on MedlinePlus and WHO guidance. Prices are collected from public sources and may change — confirm with the facility before visiting. This information is for general reference only and is not medical advice. Always consult a qualified physician.
