The Hatia and Sandwip sea routes have been closed while large ships been ordered to leave Chittagong port as cyclone Fani fast approaches.
The directives came as the severe cyclonic storm neared Bangladesh, on Wednesday night.
The storm may hit Bangladesh on Saturday morning, after crossing Odisha in India.
Fani was centred about 1,110km southwest of the Chittagong port at 6am on Thursday, reports UNB.
Maritime ports—in Chittagong, Cox's Bazar, Mongla, and Payra—have been advised to keep local warning signal number 4 hoisted.
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Fani is likely to further intensify, the Met Office stated.
At an emergency meeting, Chittagong port authorities ordered large ships to leave—to avert possible damage—while the district's disaster management committee decided to shut the Sandwip and Hatia sea routes as a precautionary measure.
According to the Met Office, the maximum sustained wind speed within 74kms of the storm centre is about 160kph, rising to 180kph.
The government has opened control rooms in 19 coastal districts and kept 56,000 volunteers at the ready.
Delowar Hossain, the acting deputy commissioner of Chittagong, said: "We have prepared 2,739 cyclone centres and are warning residents of the coastal areas regarding the severe cyclone."
