Regarding the letter "Shocked and saddened in Bangladesh" by Minhaj Ahmed in the July 10 edition, a proper investigation must be carried out to find the cause of the attack as soon as possible.

There seems to be a number of causes which triggered the atrocity. I believe the most striking reason is the exploitation of many local people by the big global companies of the West, particularly Japanese, European and American multinational companies. They have been transferring their manufacturing facilities to Bangladesh because wages in that country are very low compared with that of their home countries.

Many local people, including young women and children, have been forced to work long hours for low wages in harsh conditions for many years. The fact is that Western capitalists have never paid any attention to their demands for higher wages and better working conditions.

Their basic human rights and dignity as human beings have been neglected and violated for many years.

I believe this dire situation has contributed to the emergence of a radical movement against the inhumane control and management by "Big Capital," which is always seeking for its own profit in Bangladesh.

The time has come when we must transform the basic structure of global capitalism to mitigate economic inequality and the rise of radicalism growing mainly in developing countries. Civil movement on a global scale is urgently required.

Jyouji Hamano

SHIMONOSEKI, YAMAGUCHI PREFECTURE

The opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are the writer's own and do not necessarily reflect the policies of The Japan Times.