A private enterprise has sought the government's permission to export 1,000 tonnes of live snails to different foreign countries.
The Save and Safety International in a recent letter requested commerce ministry to allow exporting the item under the existing policy, said a senior ministry official.
According to insiders, the trading house seeks to contribute to the country's export earnings to some extent.
Nearly Tk 5.0 billion is getting damaged as there is no demand for the item in the domestic market, they said.
There is a huge demand for snails in Vietnam, Thailand and European countries, read the letter.
The trading house has already fetched import orders from those countries, it mentioned.
Save and Safety International aspires to export 1,000-tonne snails abroad annually if the government agency concerned allows exporting the product.
A commerce ministry high official said the ministry is working on the proposal.
When asked, Save and safety international proprietor Md Mehedi Hossain said they will collect snails at Tk 20 per kg from the fishermen of Shyamnagar, Satkhira.
"We'll be able to collect 25,000-30,000 tonnes of snails per day from the area," he added.
Neighbouring India exports live snails to different countries, Mr Hossain said.
There is no official annual production figure of such item, according to the traders concerned.
Generally, snails remain alive three to four days. The item is consigned for export only by air.
Snail is rich in protein and many nutrients that increase the body's immune system, a source said.
It is in high demand among indigenous people in the country. Anybody could cultivate such highly nutritious snail in the pond without zero investment, he added.
Snails have considerable human relevance, including as food item, pest and vector of diseases.
Their shells are used as decorative objects and incorporated into jewellery.
Snail has also had some cultural significance, tending to be associated with patience.
