DACCA, Pakistan, March 17 —In an atmosphere of growing tension, the leader of East Pakistan, Sheik Mujibur Rah man, and Pakistan's President, Agha Mohammad Yahya Khan, conferred here again today on East Pakistan's demands for self‐rule, but failed to report any progress toward resolving, or even muting, the crisis that threatens to split this Moslem country.

Today's meeting of the two leaders—their second day of in conclusive talks—made it clear that resolution of the crisis will be difficult, if not impossible, and that even if some patch work compromise is reached, it will probably break down be fore long.

There was, however, one optimistic development tonight. The central Government's martial‐law administration in East Pakistan announced that it would conduct an investigation into killings by soldiers of East Pakistanis who demonstrated when President Yahya announced March 1 that he was postponing the session of the National Assembly, in which the East Pakistanis have a majority.

Such an inquiry is one of the recent demands that Sheik Mu jib has said must be met be fore he would consider attending the Assembly session, which President Yahya has rescheduled for March 25. The purpose of the Assembly is to draft a constitution that would return Pakistan, under martial law since March, 1969, to civilian rule. The military's announcement of the inquiry seemed to indicate either that some progress had been made at the talks, and not announced, or simply that the military regime was trying to ease the situation.

Independence has already been effectively declared in all but name in East Pakistan. For over a week, Sheik Mujib and the Awami League party have been in control of affairs, both public and private, in defiance of the martial‐law regime imposed by President Yahya's central Government.

Sheik Mujib has what appears to be the virtually total support of the 75 million people of East Pakistan. Most of them are Bengalis, who have long protested domination by the Western section of the country. All business and government activities are being conducted according to Sheik Mujib's directives. Central Government offices are being boycotted. Taxes are being paid not to the central Government but to the “Government of Bangla Desh.” The term Bangla Desh means Bengali homeland and is being used here as the name for East Pakistan.

The discipline — with students, workers and even members of the upper classes joining in the movement — is impressive. Their determination, however, is one of Sheik Mujib's problems. Many knowledgeable sources here believe that he would like to find some form of compromise, even if it keeps the two sections of the country together only by some loose or symbolic link. But the emotions of students and workers have gone beyond this in the last few weeks and they are demanding complete independence from West Pakistan, which is separated from the East by 1,000 miles of Indian territory.