Rob Rinder takes Gary Lineker to task after pundit praises ‘favourite stadium’ at Qatar World Cup

Robert Rinder has called out BBC pundit Gary Lineker for tweeting about his ‘favourite stadium’ in Qatar.

The pair were embroiled in a Twitter spat after Mr Rinder raised the issue of the death of a migrant worker who was electrocuted while building the Al Bayt Stadium for the World Cup. 

The TV judge tweeted a picture of Mohammad Shahid Miah, 29, from Bangladesh who ‘died when floodwater in his room came into contact with an exposed electric cable’.

He said: ‘One of your countless human beings building your favourite stadium @GaryLineker’.

Mohammed Shahid Miah, 29, from Bangladesh is reported to have died from electrocution while building the Al Bayt stadium

Mr Lineker responded that his death was ‘tragic’ before adding: ‘If only we’d covered the migrant deaths and worker’s rights abuses…’

Mr Rinder hit back: ‘I’m aware of the excellent work of BBC journalists. No doubt your punditry has taken equal courage.

‘I just wonder if you think it was wise judgment or a good use of your considerable platform to celebrate your ‘favourite stadium’ given the migrant deaths you (‘we’) have covered.’

Mr Lineker began the BBC’s coverage of the World Cup with a monologue where he raised the country’s record on corruption, treatment of migrant workers, the illegality of homosexuality and women’s rights.

BBC pundit Gary Lineker tweeted that the Al Bayt arena ‘might be my favourite stadium’

Rob Rinder tweeted a picture of Mohammad Shahid Miah, 29, from Bangladesh who ‘died when floodwater in his room came into contact with an exposed electric cable’.

Pundits also discussed human rights issues but were accused by viewers of ‘virtue-signalling’. 

The BBC later revealed it had received 1,435 complaints about the coverage ahead of Qatar’s match against Ecuador.

This prompted the broadcaster to release a statement saying some people ‘took issue’ with ‘a discussion during our coverage on human rights in Qatar’.

It said it had a ‘proven record of addressing topical issues as part of our coverage’.

The Qatar Supreme Committee has said that three workers have died while working on World Cup stadiums.

But in February last year, the Guardian revealed that 6,500 migrant workers from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are thought to have died in Qatar since it won the right to host the World Cup.

Mr Miah’s death was just one raised by the publication.

Presenter Gary Lineker raised the country’s record on corruption, treatment of migrant workers, the illegality of homosexuality and women’s rights

The Al Bayt stadium in Al Khor, Qatar is being used for World Cup football matches 

However, the total death toll is thought to be considerably higher as migrant worker deaths from countries such as Kenya and the Philippines but had not been included in the analysis.

The publication said that there had been 37-deaths among workers directly linked to construction of World Cup stadiums, but 34 of these were classified as ‘non-work related’ by the event’s organising committee.

It also found that ‘natural deaths’ were attributed to acute heart or respiratory failure, which is often related to working in extreme heat.

MailOnline contacted Rob Rinder following the spat he said he ‘didn’t have anything to add’.