Dacca: A bare 24 years after the founding of Pakistan there can no longer be any doubt that geographical and ethnic differences have triumphed over the common belief in Islam shared by East and West Pakistanis.

Mohammed Ali Jinnah's creation of a united Islamic state, divided by 2,000 kilometres of Indian territory, has proved unacceptable to his heirs-- and support has grown in the western wing for the aspirations for autonomy held by the Bengalis of East Pakistan.

Pakistan, born with much pain and sacrifice, is in the process of change and it will be a miracle if even the army, which has held the two wings together for so many years, will be able to continue doing so.

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the man who is already de facto "king" of East Pakistan, has conducted his power play entirely from Dacca in recent weeks. Apart from agreeing to attend the opening of the delayed sitting of the Constituent Assembly on March 25 -- which was then thrown into jeopardy by west wing leader Zulfikar Ali Bhutto's refusal to attend--the Sheikh has said little to Rawalpindi. But on his home front he has given overt support for separatist sentiment.

While President Yahya Khan was pondering his next move in the west wing, Sheikh Mujib in his Dacca house -- adorned with traditional Bengali symbolism -- told me: "This is the final round." Asked what he meant, he answered with the slogan he has hurled at adoring crowds a thousand times: "Joy Shadin Bangla"--Love live independent Bengal.

The Sheikh added: "Believe me, I have fought for democracy all my life because only this will guarantee true freedom for us. Now however, as West Pakistan itself is ready to accept the election result and President Yahya Khan gives more consideration to the 83 parliamentary representatives of the People's Party (Bhutto's organisation) than to the 167 deputies of my Awami League, I am prepared for the utmost. Should the army arrest me, it cannot imprison 70 million East Bengalis."

As I returned to my hotel I had to leave my car because demonstrators had begun to erect barricades. Hoardings and other signs in English and Urdu, spoken in West Pakistan, were falling victim to bamboo sticks. At the Intercontinental Hotel the president of the hotel trade union requested all guests to go to their rooms and await orders.

A night of killing ensued, any non-East Bengali being a target for bloodthirsty packs. The mostly West Pakistani army tried to enforce its will on the people but it took the Sheikh to end the terror.

A few days later, asked how civil war could be avoided, the Sheikh said: "If we are left in peace and it is finally understood that we wish to live as free people, there will be no civil war. We have our constitution and the West Pakistanis can have their own. Then we can, as far as I am concerned, always get together and consult as to whether we should try for a loose federation."