The authorities have moved over 1.2 million people to nearly 4,000 storm shelters in the coastal districts to avoid casualties menaced by cyclone Fani.
Disaster Management and Relief Secretary Md Shah Kamal briefed the media about the progress of the evacuation on Friday evening, report bdnews24.com and UNB.
The 19 coastal districts have a population of about 18 million.
The government earlier said it was planning to move up to 2.5 million people to the storm shelters by Friday midnight.
The cyclone has already battered Odisha coast in India and is likely to reach Khulna and adjoining southwestern part of Bangladesh sometime between Friday midnight and Saturday morning.
Meanwhile, the Navy has deployed 32 ships in Chattogram, Khulna and Mongla for emergency rescue operations, relief work and to respond to any crisis in the aftermath the cyclone.
Naval contingents are on standby for immediate deployment in coastal areas to tackle the impact of the cyclonic storm, said a Inter Service Public Relations press release.
Naval ship Meghna will be deployed in Barishal, BNS Tista in Jhalokathi, LCT-104 in Barguna and LCVP-011 in Patuakhali.
A number of medical teams have been formed and kept on standby to provide free medical support to the victims, the press release added.
