Apart from the unique value of finger prints for personal identification, dermatoglyphics has been utilized as valuable marker trait and its diagnostic value for different genetic disorders is well documented. Several studies have reported the importance of dermatoglyphics as markers of a prenatal disturbance due to the fact that finger and palmar dermatoglyphics characteristics are formed by the end of the second trimester, they may provide evidence of disturbances in early development. To best of the knowledge, the present study is the first attempt to understand the association of palmar a-b ridge count among the E-B thalassemia patients. To achieve the purpose finger and palm prints of 70 (Male-35, Female-35) diagnosed E-B thalassemia patients were obtained from Hindu caste Bengalee population of Howrah district, West Bengal. Apart from thalassemia patients, 70 (Male-35, Female- 35) apparently healthy individuals without any family history of thalassemia as controls have also been collected from Bengalee Hindu caste population of the same area. Bilateral palm prints of all the participants were collected by using standard ink and roller method. For the present purpose a-b ridge count (ABRC) of each palm and total ab ridge count (TABRC) of the E-B thalassemia patients and the controls have been evaluated using standard method. The results revealed significantly (p<0.05) higher ABRC and TABRC among E-B thalassemia patients than the controls, and consequently indicated greater distance between palmar a and b interdigital triradii among the E-B thalassemia patients. Furthermore, significant (p<0.05) increase of ABRC was found among the male patients than that of female patients along with significant (p<0.05) bilateral asymmetry for ABRC among the female E-B thalassemia patients. However, no such sexual dimorphism and bilateral asymmetry for ABRC was revealed among the controls. Therefore, the present study envisaged that palmar a-b ridge count might be one of the imperative characteristics as diagnostic criteria of E-B thalassemia.