A timely initiative

The forthcoming launching of “Fabric Lagbe”, an e-commerce marketplace for apparel goods and services, is a welcome development for the country’s thriving apparel sector, the highest foreign exchange earner for Bangladesh. Buyers and producers lean towards online marketplaces as the raging coronavirus pandemic increasingly makes it difficult to have face-to-face meetings like in the good old days. This virtual marketplace is also a testament to the country’s steady journey towards a “Digital Bangladesh”. 

“Fabric Lagbe”, available for download on Google Play Store, will help buyers and sellers connect seamlessly and create more opportunities for the apparel sector, allowing people to buy and sell clothes, yarn and accessories at fair prices without any hassle. The e-marketplace for apparel products and services aims to bridge backward linkage between small industries and big industries in textiles and readymade garment sectors. It will facilitate the issuance and acceptance of work orders for RMG, textiles, yarn, cotton, trims and accessories, sizing, dyeing processing, chemicals, machinery, trade, supply and factory recruitment of necessary work orders and employees. Entrepreneurs can find the right product and workforce. The marketplace will make sales easier and help unemployed workers find jobs.

As the garment industry in Bangladesh continues to flourish, the increasing demand for cloth and yarn keeps getting manipulated by unscrupulous traders. “Fabric Lagbe” will reduce manipulation and help make garments products through multiple uses of fabrics, the makers say. Abu Bakar Siddik, senior executive Fabric Lagbe Limited, told this newspaper that the mobile app is being launched for the first time in the country with the facility of cheap and hassle-free supply and receipt of products and services used in the textile and readymade garments industries. Entrepreneurs will get access to textile and garment products and services through this platform. He said that this service would initially be provided free of cost. Later, commissions will be charged for selling goods and other services. Buyers and sellers will negotiate prices through the platform. The seller will deliver the goods on time as per the order and receive payment directly from the buyer.

Bakar rightly said that those who make yarn and cloth often don’t get fair prices because they cannot find the right buyers. On the other hand, buyers take a long time to find the right sellers or manufacturers. We hope that this app will make things easier for all parties involved. “Fabric Lagbe” is an e-commerce brand under Nstar Group which claims to be the largest online buying and selling platform of all kinds of items for business and personal use through app in Bangladesh. The company says it is working to simplify the impediments to the efficient and rewarding completion of the business. For the first time in Bangladesh, it has introduced open bidding system covering all categories of textile necessities. 

This digital marketplace can be a gamechanger and expedite the apparel sector’s development as the country looks to expand its market and boost exports. Our resilient apparel sector has offset the crushing impacts of the pandemic, proving the naysayers wrong, and bounced back within a short period. Bangladesh recorded its highest-ever export earnings of $44.21 billion in the just-concluded year, a 24.53 per cent increase compared to $35.5 billion in 2020. The share of the apparel sector, the most significant contributor to the national exports, rose by 30.36 per cent to $35.81 billion last year from $27.47 billion in 2020. 

We appreciate the “Fabric Lagbe” app’s launch and hope it will give a significant boost to the apparel sector. There is apprehension that an increase in coronavirus infection rate could potentially disrupt the supply chain and negatively impact exports. On top of that, there’s stiff competition in the global market. The government has to continue its policy support to help sustain the sector’s growth. It is important to attract foreign buyers and investors to Bangladesh by assuring them that we can provide quality products at a reasonable price. This is where we hope “Fabric Lagbe” will play a significant role.