Initial reports say five people have died as cyclone Mahesen battered the capital Chittagong and surrounding areas.
Thousands of Bangladeshis are taking shelter amid fears that high waves and heavy rain will bring extensive flooding and property damage.
Teams from Tearfund partners, the Bangladesh Nazarene Mission and Koinonia, have been working with government authorities in the Dacope and Mongla areas to alert communities and to be ready to deal with any damage.
Koinonia mobilised teams of volunteers to work on early warning, search and rescue, first aid and shelter management.
Mobiles
Volunteers have been using mobile phones, community meetings and information boards to keep people informed.
Suchitra Behera, Tearfund’s Bangladesh Country Representative, said Tearfund partners were working closely with the authorities: ‘Our partners were contacted by the government in order to help with the response to the building collapse in Dhaka, and they have been called on to prepare and possibly respond to this storm.
‘It’s a great testimony that the church is known by the government as one of the first places to call on for support in such situations.
‘It’s a sign of transformation that the people of Bangladesh are looking at how they can support each other in these times of need - irrespective of religion or race. For Tearfund and our partners that is no small impact.’
The UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says the storm could threaten 8.2 million people in northeast India, Bangladesh and Myanmar.