On May 13 , the Government of Bangladesh raised the nation 's storm alert to level seven ( on a ten-level scale ) . Resources towards food stockpiles were allocated , with plans for of rice to be prepared . All public buildings and some private , such as hotels , were to be treated as evacuation centers . The Bangladeshi armed forces and air force were placed on stand-by for rescue and relief missions following the storm . By May 15 , 3,770 shelters were opened to house evacuees across the country . The nation 's disaster management agency also allocated 300,000 ( US$ 3,800 ) in funds , 5,000 tents , and 7,000 sari and lungi . Roughly 50,000 volunteers were placed on alert . The country 's second-largest city , Chittagong , was brought to a stand-still and airports were shut down . Approximately 1 million people sought refuge in shelters , roughly 600,000 of whom lived around Chittagong . There were also concerns over the safety of 230,000 Rohingyan refugees ( following Myanmar 's deadly riots in 2012 ) who do not have sufficient shelter
deadly riots in 2012
2012 Rakhine State riots
Cyclone Viyaru