Shafiqul Rahman, 58, stood anxiously outside the emergency unit of Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH), desperate for two bags of B-positive blood for his 11-year-old son, Sohan, critically injured in a road accident in Rangpur. Initially admitted to Rangpur Medical College, doctors referred Sohan to Dhaka for specialised treatment.
In his moment of despair, a masked man with a blue-lanyard ID approached Shafiqul, claiming to have the required blood. The catch: each bag would cost him Tk3,000. Ironically, DMCH has a government-run blood bank on the second floor of its new building. If blood is available there, the cost for cross-matching and screening for indoor patients is only Tk700. Yet, for ordinary citizens, access to this blood often feels like a mirage.
Exploiting this gap, a vast network of brokers and syndicates has flourished around Dhaka’s public hospitals. Shafiqul, an easy-bike driver with little education, told The TIMES of Bangladesh, “I came from Nilphamari. I don’t have that kind of money. If the government blood costs Tk700, why should I pay Tk3,000?”
Investigations by TIMES of Bangladesh across seven government medical college hospitals and 24 private blood banks revealed how these networks control collection, supply, and pricing, imposing undue financial pressure on patients. Many private blood banks have sprung up around Dhaka’s government hospitals. According to the Health Ministry, there are 267 registered blood banks, but unlicensed facilities often operate until raided and closed. Even registered banks, however, show irregularities.
Abu Hussain Md. Moinul Ahsan, Director of the Hospital Branch of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), said, “No government service can meet 100% of demand.” According to him, this shortcoming creates opportunities for broker networks.
Citing DMCH as an example, he said the hospital has around 2,200 beds, but in reality nearly 5,000 patients receive treatment there. “The hospital’s departments are designed to provide services based on the approved number of beds. When patient numbers exceed that capacity, reliance on external services naturally increases,” he added.
Right next to DMCH are Creative Blood Bank, Bandhan Blood Bank, the blood bank of Swadhin Diagnostic Centre, Chankharpul General Hospital’s blood bank, and Active Diagnostic Centre and Blood Bank.
Md Shahin Alam, manager of Swadhin Blood Bank, said they charge Tk3,000–3,500 for a bag of positive blood, including various tests. However, the price rises to Tk7,000 for negative blood. Explaining the reason, Shahin Alam claimed negative donors are not available everywhere. “Sometimes we have to bring donors from Cumilla or even farther. When a donor comes from far, there are travel and other expenses,” he noted.
When asked to justify charging Tk3,000 to Tk7,000 for a bag of blood, he cited five tests including cross-matching, grouping, and virus screening. However, according to a Bangladesh government gazette issued in 2008, the combined fee for cross-matching and the five tests is set at Tk1,500. When reminded about the government fee, Shahin Alam eventually admitted, “The government allows us a profit margin. That is where our profit comes from.”
Md Moinul Ahsan acknowledged clear inconsistencies in how private blood banks set their prices. He told TIMES, “These private institutions do not have any fixed price for blood. Only the charges for tests are officially determined. It is not supposed to cost Tk3,000 or Tk4,000 for tests that are set at Tk1,500. If such amounts are being charged, there must be a problem there.”
In this situation, he said the government should also fix the price of blood, alongside the cost of tests. The investigation found evidence that some institutions, such as Creative Blood Bank in Chankharpul, charge several times more than the government-set rate. An employee of the facility told TIMES they charge Tk1,800 for cross-matching, screening, and collection of one bag of B-positive blood. However, when the same blood bank was asked about the price of blood just two days earlier, the employee had demanded Tk3,000 for a bag.
When confronted, he could not justify charging more than twice the official fee. When questioned about the source of the blood, he said the organisation collects it solely through campaigns.
However, when searching for blood at Chankharpul General Hospital and Green Road’s ‘Mukti Blood Bank’, staff referred to a man named Saidur Rahman Anik. The receptionist at Mukti Blood Bank told TIMES, “Anik Bhai comes and collects blood for Dhaka Medical College. If our blood wasn’t safe, our business with him wouldn’t survive. You can take our blood without worry.” At Chankharpul General Hospital, staff also advised contacting Anik for blood.
When reached, Anik denied any involvement in the syndicate. Saidur Rahman Anik, an employee of Creative Blood Bank, told TIMES, “There are several blood banks in the same area, so if one place runs out, I arrange supply from another.”
A short distance from DMCH lies the National Institute of Burn & Plastic Surgery. According to hospital policy, it does not accept blood from any source other than the patient’s own donor or the Quantum Foundation.
However, a ward master at the institute, who wished to remain unnamed, told TIMES, “Until last year, nearby private blood banks used to sell blood to patients at Tk3,000–4,000 per bag in this hospital. At that time, allegations surfaced that dishonest operators were mixing saline with a single bag of blood to create and sell two bags. After this fraud was uncovered, the use of outside blood was stopped. Currently, blood is not provided except through such donors or the Quantum Foundation, which is why various middleman networks collect blood bags from Quantum Foundation and supply them to buyers.”
Regarding adulteration of blood with saline and syndicate activities, DGHS director Moinul Ahsan said, “Identifying such irregularities is extremely difficult in practice. We rely more on complaints than regular monitoring. When a complaint is received, it is investigated and action is taken. It is not possible to conduct random raids or monitoring everywhere.”
In Mirpur and Shamoli, the scenario is similar. At Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital, the ‘Sandhani Blood Bank’ charges Tk900 per bag as per regulations, but patients must bring a donor. Unlicensed institutions such as Maliha Blood Bank and Bangladesh Blood Bank have already been shut down for adulterating blood with saline.
Rafiqul Mia, a security guard on Babar Road in Mohammadpur for 12 years, said that after being raided twice, Maliha Blood Bank was shifted to Humayun Road, and last year it was completely seized and sealed.
Next to it is Famous Blood Bank, holding a trade licence since 2008. During an on-site visit, the bank charged Tk3,500 for a bag of B-positive blood, though the owner denied this price the following day. He told TIMES that it costs Tk1,600 to collect one bag of blood. He confirmed that between 2008 and 2026, they have not paid a single money to any donor. When asked about the extra charge, he said, “There are many costing expenses, and beyond that, we also have our profit share.”
In Shyamoli, private blood banks have created a “tiered” pricing system. Patients buying directly pay Tk2,500–5,000. If referred by someone from a hospital, the price rises to Tk3,000–6,000 depending on blood rarity. When the blood passes through several brokers, the cost can soar even higher.
At Green Road, institutions like The Diagnosis Blood Bank and Transfusion Centre and Nirapad Blood Bank charge Tk3,500 for O-positive or B-positive blood, but could not show any official price list. Meanwhile, at Prime Blood Bank and Transfusion Centre in Mohammadpur’s Muktijoddha Tower, investigations revealed inconsistent pricing for the same type of blood. When asked about the price of a B-positive bag, the marketing officer, Mizanur Rahman, quoted Tk2,500. At a more modern facility on Green Road, the same Mizanur Rahman quoted Tk3,500 for identical blood using the same requisition form. This stark discrepancy casts serious doubts on transparency in blood pricing.
After being identified as a journalist, he said, “The price depends on supply and demand. When blood is scarce and demand is high, the rate goes up. If supply is abundant, the price comes down.” Asked about the government’s fixed rate of Tk1,500, he replied, “The government rate is not always available at that location.” He also could not provide any explanation about the source of donors.
At Bangladesh Medical University (BMU), freezing and cross-matching cost Tk900 per bag. In 2025, 2,574 bags were collected in-house, while 4,772 externally sourced bags were cross-matched at government rates in this hospital. National Kidney Institute faces similar shortages. Patients must turn to private banks, which provide no donor information, forcing re-screening at official rates.
The most tragic situation is seen in those relying on voluntary organisations. Aminul Haque, 60, of Kamrangirchar, was desperately searching for two bags of B-positive blood for his 22-year-old daughter Arju, admitted to DMCH. He told TIMES he could not afford the Tk3,000–3,500 demanded by brokers and private blood banks. With no other option, he obtained the contact numbers of the president and general secretary of Dhaka University’s voluntary blood donation organisation, Bandhan, and went to Shahidullah Hall, where he waited ten hours. Yet, no one from Bandhan answered his calls or responded.
Standing by his daughter’s bedside, Aminul Haque continues to search for the life-saving blood. Countless helpless people like him and Shafiqul Rahman remain at the mercy of aggressive brokers, profit-driven private blood banks, and the extreme negligence of voluntary organisations.
