Dhaka, Aug 11 - Bangladesh was rocked by tremors early Tuesday in the wake of a major earthquake in India's Andaman Islands. Although a tsunami alert was issued, it was soon withdrawn by the met office here.

Dhaka, Chittagong and Sylhet and the southern coastal region felt the quake at 2.55 a.m. local time, Star Online reported.

The temblor that measured 7.8 on the Richter scale had its epicentre 980 kilometres south-southeast of Dhaka.

'The tsunami alert was issued at around 4 a.m. It was withdrawn at about 6.40 a.m.,' Meteorologist Mominul Islam told The Daily Star newspaper.

'According to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre and Japan Meteorological Agency, a devastating tsunami is unlikely to affect the coast of Bangladesh as the expected time of 6.40 a.m. is over,' said a bulletin of the met office.

'There is no signal for the maritime ports of Bangladesh,' it said.